A Guiding Paw
by moonservant
Summary: After receiving a letter from Petunia, Lupin takes in Harry and offers the help he needs to deal with the loss of Sirius. Together, they change each others' lives and bring happiness back to their worlds. No slash HPxRL
1. Chapter 1

The sky was bleak and grey with the promise of rain in the air. Few people traversed the sidewalks of Privet Drive this day, preferring to stay home away from the unnatural coolness. A light breeze rustled the leaves of the neatly trimmed hedges of Number 4 and bounded off the lace curtain-covered windows to the living room. Inside a round boy sat with his father watching the television while a peaky woman with a tad too much neck scrubbed at the spotless kitchen, sweat gracing her brow as she worked at an invisible stain. It looked like a perfect, though perhaps too uptight family. However, had one bothered to look upstairs, behind the door of the smallest bedroom, they would have realized that not everything was as it should be.

Harry Potter lay on his bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling while tears ran down his cheek. He was thin, even by his standards, and pale, suggesting malnutrition and a lack of sleep. His emerald eyes were blood shot, swollen, and dead. What life the boy had had at one point was gone, taken away. While appearing calm on the outside, inside he was a storm of turmoil. Not two weeks ago, Harry watched as his godfather, the closest thing he had to a family, fell through the veil in the Department of Mysteries. He now struggled between extreme guilt and hopeless sorrow. He could not stop thinking how he was the reason Sirius died, how he should have known that Voldemort was tricking him, how he could have stopped Bellatrix. He could have tried harder to contact him, he could have… he could have saved him. Harry flipped over and pounded his fist into his pillow repeatedly as sobs shook his body. It was all his fault!

A tap came at the window, pulling him temporarily away form his mourning. Outside his snowy owl, Hedwig, fluttered outside demanding entrance. He picked himself up off the bed and opened the window for her. The owl swooped over his bed, dropping several letters on it, before nestling into her cage with her head tucked beneath a wing. Harry left the window open, appreciating the cold breeze and dark sky that matched his mood, and went back to sift through the post. There was a letter from Hermione and Ron as well as from Hagrid and Dumbledore. He eyed the emerald green script distastefully before tossing it in the rubbish bin. Although he no longer blamed Dumbledore for Sirius's death, he just did not want to hear from the headmaster. He read the other three letters, though in all honesty it was a waste of time as they said basically the same thing. They all hoped he was getting along all right, that the Dursleys were not treating him terribly and that they would see him soon. A pain stabbed at his broken heart. He missed them.

"Boy, dinner!" Uncle Vernon yelled up at him uncaringly. Harry thought to ignore him, but his stomach protested the denial of food, so Harry regrettably made his way downstairs. He took his usual seat at the table and no one acknowledged his existence. Around him, meaningless conversation was exchanged formally. As he poked at his fish, Harry remembered happier mealtimes than the one he now sat at. There was Hogwarts, with its hall full of students, bright chatter and laughter tossed about in a haze of confusion. There was dinner with the Weasleys where everyone crowded into the small kitchen or out into the summer night to eat Mrs. Weasley's exceptional cooking while jesting, joking, and discussing the latest news, whether it be cauldron bottoms or Quidditch. More recently, there had been Grimmauld Place. Perhaps it was not the most cheerful of times, what with the grim décor and occasional presence of Snape, but it was still special to him. Everyone would gather about, to socialize and relax. Tonks would entertain Hermione and Ginny by morphing her appearance, Harry and the multitude of Weasley brothers would discuss Fred and George's latest product or guess what had happened in that day's Order meeting. Afterwards, a bottle of Firewhiskey might be brought out and eventually Lupin and Sirius would start reminiscing about the days of the Marauders, sometimes at Snape's expense.

The fork fell from his hand with a loud clank. The other three members stopped suddenly and turned to stare at Harry. The boy just sat there staring off into space, a tear streaking down his left cheek.

"Boy?" Vernon asked hesitantly. He had never seen Harry show this kind of emotion, and the intensity of his grief poured off him in waves; he was unsure how to handle this situation.

"Harry, are you alright?" Petunia questioned, shaking his shoulder gently.

"I can't-" he gasped and ran from the table. The three stared at Harry's upturned chair in amazement.

"What the bloody hell just happened?" Vernon asked his wife. She shook her head, her gaze following her nephew up the stairs. Although she was not particularly fond of the boy, part of her felt the need to comfort him. The hollow look in his eyes chilled her to the very core of her being.

"I'm going to go talk to him," Petunia excused herself and followed her distressed nephew.

Back in his room, Harry curled up in a ball on his floor, his knees hugged to his chest. He did not cry or scream, but just rocked slowly back and forth. He felt so alone. He did not belong here. These people did not want him here and did not care about him. He starved for the love and acceptance of his friends, of Sirius. He wanted so much to see the man, to hear his barking laughter and see the mischief in his dark eyes, to feel him hold him as he had before Harry left for Hogwarts at Christmas. He needed to hear someone say it was okay, that everything was going to be all right, that it was not his fault, but he could not get that here. He needed to leave, to get back to the familiar. A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," he called while bracing himself for a scolding. Surely, they were going to tell him off for being so rude and disruptive or something. The door opened to reveal Aunt Petunia. She appeared surprised at his position, but did not say anything immediately. Harry uncurled himself, wanting to appear stronger for his punishment, and picked himself up to face her stonily. "Yes?"

"Sit down Harry," she commanded. He followed her direction and sat down on the edge of his bed. She shut the door and came to sit down next to him. He saw her glance over the room once and eye Hedwig with disapproval, but still she said nothing about it. "What's wrong?" Harry was taken aback by the question. Never before had she asked him that question and actually sounded like she cared. Her voice was gentle and her eyes held concern usually reserved for Dudley.

"N-nothing, I-I'm fine," he stammered. She gave him that piercing stare that had a way of penetrating his soul. He was vaguely reminded of Dumbledore and almost smiled at the comparison. "Nothing you'd be worried about," he responded quietly.

"As your guardian I have a right to know what is bothering you so badly," she told him firmly.

"I… I don't want to talk about it," he responded, moving back to lean against the wall so he could curl up again. However, Petunia refused to leave. She recognized that stubbornness as his mother's, but she was Lily's older sister and could be even more so if necessary. He was going to talk whether he liked it or not.

"Did something happen at school?" she pressed, mentally grimacing at the reference to his abnormality.

"No more than any other year," he bit back. Petunia was shocked by the harshness of his tone.

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"Exactly what it sounds like, every year something happens, something terrible, and every year I come here upset and frazzled only to be ignored. You never cared before, why now?" Harry questioned back harshly.

"Because you need help, and badly. Harry, I need to know what happened. As your aunt-"

"You aren't my aunt," Harry interrupted her.

"Of course I am! What are you talking about?" she snapped.

"No you're not! An aunt doesn't hide her nephew from the world. She wouldn't shun him for being different or allow her son to bully him. She wouldn't ignore the letters from his Headmaster telling her what he's been through, leaving him to deal with it on his own!" he accused, the tears returning. And behind those emerald orbs, Lily shown at her accusingly. Her baby sister glared at her with such distain she wanted to turn away. Petunia looked away from Lily, returning to Harry, not that the view was much better but it was easier to deal with Harry. Still, the sight was heart wrenching. She did not know how badly he had been affected by this, what emotion he kept bottled up. He truly hated them for treating him like scum, and it hurt her. They had been selfish, foolish, and now she needed to fix that.

"Harry, come here," she patted the area next to her. During his outburst he had jumped to his feet. He stalked in front of her angrily for a moment before complying. "Harry, I'm sorry. I did not realize how this affected you, I just simply never thought about it before. About the letters, we never read them. We did not want to hear about your school and simply burned them. Believe me, I realize now that was a huge mistake, and I ask you now to forgive me. Please, let me make this right and help you now," she pleaded. She gently covered his hand, causing him to flinch back.

"I don't know…" Harry trailed off questioningly. Clearly, he did not trust her.

"If you don't tell me, I will write to that godfather of yours!" she threatened. However, it did not work as she had hoped. Instead Harry appeared to have just been punched in the stomach and began shaking, searching for control of his emotions. Well, at least she had a lead now.

"Does this have something to do with him?" she questioned softly.

"I killed him…" he choked out. His eyes were hollow and she was sure he no longer saw her. "He sent me a vision and I ran off blindly just like Hermione said I would. He would have lived if I stayed there, had I practiced like everyone told me to. I was too bloody stubborn to listen and here I go and kill him! I didn't mean to…," he cried. Petunia was shocked. She had not expected anything of this nature or seriousness.

"I-I'm sure you didn't mean to Harry," she mumbled, cautiously pulling him into an awkward embrace. "Now, tell me what exactly happened." Being in the emotional vulnerability he was in, Harry didn't protest and told her everything. About his Occlumency lessons, the nightmares, Umbridge and the Prophet, the vision, the battle, the prophecy, the veil, everything poured right out of him. She sat there and listened, not sure what was happening, but knowing he needed to let it out. This was outside her level, she could not help him with this kind of stuff, but she was determined to get the boy what he needed. Harry had settled down now, bordering on sleep. She unwrapped his arms and laid him down before moving towards his desk. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote a quick note.

She turned to the owl that held out her leg with a string attached. She nervously tied the letter to its leg. The owl dropped the limb and stared at her almost expectantly. Crazy as it sounds, it looked like the owl was waiting for her to say something. When she saw Lily do this the owl just took off without a word. Well, she could try talking to it.

"Uh, I don't know who to send this to, but just take it to someone who could help him," she said, feeling foolish. However, the action was not as weird as it appeared because the owl flew out the open window. She shut it behind the bird, not liking how drafty it was in here. There was no way the cold could help Harry's mood or health.

XXXXXX

Remus Lupin stood in the eerily silent kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place, trying quite unsuccessfully to block out haunting memories of his best friend. This house held so many dark thoughts and recollections and if he had his choice, he would be somewhere else, anywhere else, but necessity forced him back. With Sirius gone, it was possible at his Death Eater relatives could show up at any moment to claim the house and it would be detrimental to have Order papers laying about when they did. True, the house had been left to Harry, but they would not know until later if it would work, so Dumbledore ordered the house be cleared out.

He stuffed more scrolls into a box but was interrupted by a swoop of white feathers. He looked up in surprise to find a snowy white owl perched on the counter contemplating him. It took a moment before he recognized the bird as Harry's owl, Hedwig. For a moment the two stared at each other, Remus wondering what it was waiting for. Suddenly, Hedwig held out her leg, and he accepted the letter. Instead of flying off though, as was normal, the bird stayed there and continued to watch him. It was a tad unnerving in the silence. He walked back to the table and sat down. He examined the letter curiously. It was an unusual letter for Harry, being written on notebook paper instead of parchment. He unfolded it to be met with a hasty feminine scrawl.

_Sir or Madam,_

_I do not know of your connection to my nephew, but I do believe you will be able to help him. Something heavily is weighing on his mind and I just cannot understand. I implore you to do whatever you can for him. He is troubled and needs your help. Please contact me when you get this._

_Sincerely, _

_Petunia Dursley_

Remus reread the letter a few times, allowing the message to sink in. Harry was in trouble! Clearly, it had to be serious if his aunt was concerned. He had to help the boy, his friends' son and godson! Guilt hit him. Harry, he'd completely forgot about him and how difficult this must be for him to go through. After all, he had lost his parents and now his godfather. He saw how much Sirius had meant to him and now he was gone, and Harry had watched this. Dumbledore had mentioned briefly the episode in his office, but he had not given it much thought. However, now was not the time to dwell on his emotions. Harry needed him!

**A/N: So, what did you guys think? Kind of nervous about the reviews, this was a challenge for me. Please review, but don't flame. If you didn't like it, tell me why, help me improve. **


	2. Chapter 2

Petunia poked her headinto Harry's room to find him fitfully asleep. She was glad to see that he was not tossing and turning. She had waked a few times in the night to find him thrashing and muttering to himself. It pained her to see him like that. He looked better though. She had also forced him to eat a bit yesterday and today which gave him a bit more color. He was still terribly pale, but it was a start. She just hoped this… what was his name… Lupin person could do better. She closed the door and made her way downstairs. She straightened the perfect living room as she waited for the doorbell to ring. This Lupin fellow was supposed to arrive today to discuss Harry. Although he was one of his type, and she was not thrilled with the idea of allowing another of them into her house, she insisted that they know that she had enough decency to keep an orderly home. The doorbell rang and she hastily answered it.

"Mrs. Dursley I presume?" the man asked courteously. Petunia had expected some ill-mannered, silly dressed scoundrel who would make a mockery of her and her family. Remus Lupin was not what she expected.

"Yes, are you Mr. Lupin?" she questioned. He nodded curtly. "Please, come in," she let him in. He stepped over the threshold and waited for her to lead him to the living room instead of taking off and wandering about as she thought everyone like him did. They entered the sitting room and she took an armchair while he hesitantly sat on the sofa. She examined her guest most curiously. He appeared to be about her age with premature grey hair and many scars crossing his face. His clothes left much to be desired, worn and patched as they were, but at least he wore normal clothing. It seems that at least one person was capable of looking normal. If she did not know better, she would have said that Remus Lupin was a perfectly normal person who just happened to have a risky job. What did he do for a living anyways? Perhaps she should not allow Harry to be near him.

"So, Mr. Lupin-" she began.

"Please, call me Remus, Madam," he corrected her. He also had manners.

"Alright, Remus, how do you know Harry?" she questioned.

"I was a friend of Lily, James, and Sirius. Later, when Harry was 13, I was a professor at Hogwarts," he explained. She nodded in understanding.

"You say you were a teacher. What happened?" she pressed. Lupin became nervous, she could tell, and avoided her gaze.

"I resigned due to… health issues," he answered vaguely.

"What types of health issues? I cannot let my nephew enter a harmful situation Remus, I'm sure you understand," she explained. He nodded, his thoughts whirling.

"I-uh… just a long term illness that flared up. It is… under control at the moment," he assured her. She did not reply, but pierced him with a gaze that clearly said she was not satisfied. "Please, Mrs. Dursley, I assure you that no harm will befall Harry. Precautions will be taken to ensure that he is safe. It is nothing important," he pleaded. She conceded.

"And what do you currently do?" she continued her interrogation.

"I am working at a book shop at the moment," he answered, relieved to be on safe territory.

"Have you ever been incarcerated?" she attacked him.

"No, but I should remind you that his godfather spend twelve years in prison," Remus pointed out.

"Yes, but you're not his godfather and I have some say in this, and I will not allow Harry to be around an unsavory people," she snapped. Lupin inclined his head in respect. "Thankfully, you do not appear to be in that category," she told him.

"Thank you Madam," he replied with a genuine smile.

"Now, you said you were friends with Sirius, that was his name right?" she verified. Remus nodded with a stony expression. "So, you were well aware of the… situation?"

"More so than some, I am not sure what it was I missed," he admitted.

"What do you think happened that made Harry so upset over this?" she asked, genuinely interested. Again Remus avoided her eye, this time to look past her at some memory.

"I imagine everything played a part in this. The lose of his parents and now his godfather, the tournament, Umbridge, Voldemort's return; it was just too much for him. I'm willing to tell you everything I know Mrs. Dursley, but what I want to know is what you know," he demanded. She shook her head sadly.

"Not much, just that this lunatic went after the Potters and couldn't kill Harry, and now he's lost his godfather and thinks it's his fault," she said, realizing how little she knew about her nephew. It was pathetic.

"Well then, it seems there is a lot to be said. I hope you have a while Mrs. Dursley, because this will take some time. Voldemort is a wizard trying to purify the wizarding world so that pure-bloods will rule the magical world. He views non-magical people and people with a non-magic parent as subhuman. His war against our world was terrible. You could not trust anyone and people lived in constant fear that he would come for them and their families. Then, a prophecy was made about a boy who would bring about his fall. This was given to Voldemort who went after Harry, as it fit. I will admit, I know not the contents of the prophecy. Well, when Voldemort went after Harry, Lilly pleaded for his life and in the end, died to save Harry, this caused Voldemort to not be able to touch him so when Voldemort tried to kill Harry, the curse rebounded on Voldemort, turning him into something barely alive. No one fully understands it to this day. That is of course when Harry came to live with you. In that time, Sirius Black was convicted of murder of thirteen people, including our friend Peter Pettigrew. It was thought that Sirius gave away the hiding place of Lily and James too. I know, it sounds like it doesn't matter, but it will be important.

"The first two years of Harry's education, I do not know much about, just that he met with Voldemort twice and faced quite a bit of danger. Then, his third year, I met him. That year Sirius escaped from prison, the first to do so in fact and supposedly came after Harry with the thought of resurrecting Voldemort. These creatures called Dementors were stationed about the school. I take it you know what a dementor is. Good. Well, they attacked the school train and later a Quidditch match, which Harry passed out at. He needed a way to fight them, so I gave him private lessons to teach him this skill. During these, we became quite close do to the fact that I knew his parents and he craved whatever information he could get of them. In June, right after exams, Harry and his friends encountered Sirius. During this, I managed to show up and stop Harry from attacking an innocent man, and we proved that Sirius was in fact innocent and that it was Peter who was the criminal. We captured Peter, Sirius and I wanted to kill him, but Harry would not allow it, noble boy, and as we made our way back to the castle, Sirius offered to have Harry move in with him. Unfortunately, I had an attack on that night and so Peter got away and Sirius remained a convicted man. Hermione and Harry ended up traveling back in time to keep Sirius safe.

"The next year, there was a tournament between two other schools which Harry was entered, against his will, into. He was too young and Hogwarts had another champion, but he was under a magical contract so he had to compete. Everyone felt that there was something sinister at work here. On the last task, Harry and Cedric Diggory were transported to a graveyard where Cedric was killed and Voldemort was resurrected with the intention of killing Harry. He managed to escape through sheer luck and was terrified. How does he compare now to last summer?" Remus asked.

"Far worse this summer, though I do remember hearing him talking about a Cedric boy in his sleep. I thought it was a friend of his and he was just having bad nightmares. Oh my god, if only I'd know. And this year, does it get worse?" she asked with concern.

"Sadly yes. When Harry stayed with a bunch of us for protection, he had quite the temper. I think part of it was the trial. He was not so bad afterwards. During the summer, he and Sirius really connected. I know Sirius was quite taken with him and talked about getting his name cleared and bringing Harry to live with him. Anyway, Harry returned to Hogwarts, where there was a new teacher, Professor Umbridge. She is a truly wicked woman who is, in my opinion, just a horrid as a Death Eater. She tormented Harry because the Minister led a smear campaign against him and Dumbledore, thinking that they were trying to overthrow him with talk of Voldemort being back. His classmates did not trust him, he was constantly attacked in the paper, and his teachers were being tormented on his behalf. His home became a nightmare for him I imagine. Well, this teacher destroyed his favorite class, and would not let them learn anything useful so he and his friends started an organization to learn to defend themselves, the D.A. From what I heard it was the only bright spot in his life then. Also, he mentioned that he was having visions about Voldemort. Dumbledore realized he has some kind of mental connection with the him and that if Voldemort found out about this, could invade Harry's mind. Another teacher was ordered to teach Harry to block the path, but he and Harry hate each other so that just did not work and Harry never learned. Well, in June, Harry received a vision of Sirius being tortured at the Ministry. Harry checked that Sirius was not home, and was led to believe that Sirius was actually gone. He and his friends managed to escape to the Ministry where they were met by Voldemort's followers, and eventually Voldemort himself. That professor managed to alert our group and we arrived on scene. Sirius joined the fight to save Harry and was killed in the process," he ended his tale. Petunia sat in stunned silence.

"All this… all this at only fifteen?" she whispered. She truly knew nothing about the boy. No wonder he did not consider her a fit aunt. Well, she would make it up to him now. She went to say something, but screaming from upstairs disturbed them. Before she could think of moving Lupin was halfway up the stairs. She ran after him.

XXXXXX

Remus quickly found Harry. He threw open the door to find Harry screaming in his sleep, thrashing dangerously. He grabbed the teen and pinned him to the bed to ensure that he would not hurt himself. Harry fought harder, screaming for Sirius. His heart broke.

"Harry, Harry, wake up!" he demanded. He repeated this several times before the terrified green eyes looked up at him in confusion.

"P-Professor?" he questioned.

"Yes Harry," he assured him, loosening his grip.

"I'm sorry," Harry cried, shooting up and embracing the man. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to… it's my fault," he sobbed into Lupin's jumper. Remus quickly hugged Harry back, saddened my the display.

"No Harry, no… hush, it's not your fault. You are not to blame," Remus assured him firmly.

"I am… I should have listened to Hermione. She knew it was a trap," he insisted.

"You were scared… you wanted to save him… you did nothing wrong," the former professor told him sincerely.

"But he didn't have to die. I killed him… you all hate me," Harry wailed. Remus firmly held the boy away from him so he could look him square in the eyes.

"Don't you ever say that Harry James Potter! You are not at fault here! Sirius chose to go, and he knew the risks. Believe me, he would never hold you responsible for this, and neither do I! You were not fully aware of the situation and therefore could not make a logical decision and so you have nothing to blame yourself. Come on Harry," he added a bit more cheerfully, "if anything, you gave Sirius the chance to live one last time. His biggest fear was fading into nothingness. He went out fighting, and fighting for something he was willing to die for. I know you're sad, I am too, but you should not beat yourself up over this." Harry swiped at the tears that fell down his cheeks, and nodded in understanding. "Better?" Remus asked.

"Not really," Harry mumbled.

"Well, we're going to get you better soon," Lupin assured him.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asked, suddenly realizing he was still in Privet Drive and Lupin shouldn't have been here.

"I called him here," Aunt Petunia sounded from the door. The two men turned their attention to her, having not realized that she was there the whole time.

"You… but… really?" Harry stammered.

"Yes, based on what you tried to tell me the other night, I knew I could not help you, so I sent a letter to someone who could. Mr. Lupin was kind enough to offer his assistance," Petunia explained.

"Are you going to take me away?" Harry asked brightly, his eyes shining for the first time in weeks. Lupin glanced up nervously, unsure how to answer. That had not been discussed.

"Well, I don't know… that hasn't been mentioned. Your aunt and I were talking when you started screaming. I doubt it though Harry. I think your aunt would like you to stay here for a bit," he guessed.

"No! Please, I can't stay here. I'm miserable here! I don't belong here. I belong in the wizarding world, in your world, in… his world," Harry begged. Remus sighed and looked up at Petunia questioningly. He would love to take Harry with him, but he could not provide a decent life for the boy. Perhaps he could send him to the Weasleys'. Then again, Petunia seemed ardent on watching him.

"Harry," she stepped in, "it would be rude to impose yourself upon Mr. Lupin." Clearly she misinterpreted him.

"Actually, I would love to have you come with me, but Harry, I think you would be terribly bored with me. Perhaps I could contact the Weasleys for you. I'm sure Mrs. Weasley would love-"

"No," Harry stopped him. "Don't get me wrong, I love the Weasleys and Mrs. Weasley has been wonderful to me, but I just don't want to face them right now. She sees me as a child and I need someone who I can talk to about everything and not have them try to shelter me. Besides, you were their best friend and I just… I want to go with you," Harry argued.

"I'm okay with that, but it's up to your aunt," he admitted. Two sets of eyes turned to face her.

XXXXXX

Alright, whatever kind feelings she had towards Remus Lupin were gone. How dare he put her on the spot like that! She was torn between what to say. Sure, Vernon and Dudley would be thrilled to be rid of him for the whole summer, but she was his aunt. She had a responsibility to take care of him and make sure he was doing well. How could she do that if he was gone? She had a debt to repay for all the years of torment.

"Aunt Petunia," Harry approached her, eyes pleading. "Please, I need this. I know you want to help me, but I can't stay here as a misfit. I need to be back amongst my world. I need to see my friends again and just know that they don't hate me. Please, let me go. I will forever appreciate this." Those eyes, they were so much like hers, it was tormenting.

"Fine, you can go," she conceded. If he truly believed this would help, then she would allow it. "But, on one condition." Harry looked at her intently.

"Yes, anything!" he agreed eagerly.

"I want a letter from you once a week telling me everything I should know about. If you are unhappy or want to come back, though I doubt that, let me know," she admitted. Harry's face split in a thankful smile and, for the first time in his life, he hugged his aunt.

"Thank you Aunt Petunia," he told her honestly. He let go and started scrambling to toss clothes in his trunk.

"Mr. Lupin, shall we allow Harry to pack in peace?" she suggested, secretly communicating a need to discuss this.

"Of course," he replied, getting her message. The two adults went back downstairs, one looking considerably more cheerful than the other.

"This is tough for you isn't it?" Remus asked, recognizing her grim look.

"Amazingly, yes, it is. Normally I am eager for his friends to come, get him, and just pretend he isn't there, but the other day when he looked at me, I saw Lily staring back accusingly and I just felt I needed to do more. I finally start acting like family and he runs off. I just feel like I am doomed to forever be a failure. However, if this helps him and he'll be happy, I am willing to go along with it as long as he does write. Now, Remus, I want you to know that I expect nothing more than the best for Harry. I do not want to hear that he is being cast aside or poorly treated. If you can't deal with it, send him home, but do not-"

"Mrs. Dursley, I assure you, nothing of that nature will happen. I care for Harry most ardently and would die for him. He's my friends' son and godson, I could never harm him. Believe me; should he figure it out, he could probably push me around. But really, should anything happen, I will let you know," he assured her.

"Thank you," she said simply. Harry bounded down the steps with his trunk and Hedwig.

"Ready to go Harry?" Lupin asked.

"Yeah, you?" he asked back. Lupin nodded and rose to his feet.

"Mrs. Dursley, thank you for your hospitality. We shall be off now, and should we need your assistance, we will let you know," he dismissed himself.

"Bye Aunt Petunia, I'll write in a week," Harry mumbled awkwardly. She nodded to them and watched as they left, but quickly Harry ran back one last time. "And thank you, this means the world to me. I… I take back what I said about you before," he told her and ran back out. Tears misted her eyes.

**A/N- So thank you to everyone that commented! Yeah, Petunia is ooc, she had to be, but you won't see much of her anymore so the horror is gone. So next chapter, might be up tomorrow, dunno, might be a stretch with homework and whatnot, but I will try. After tomorrow, I won't have much time to update until after finals and even then I might get a chapter done a week. Sorry for how long it will be in advance. Okay, to the peeps who I could not send back comments to:**

**James: Thanks for the comment! Glad you liked it!**

**Qwertz: OMG the spelling and grammar were good!!!! THANK YOU! Yeah, usually that's an issue… as I said, Petunia had to be ooc but glad it's not an issue to you. **


	3. Chapter 3

Harry and Remus apparated into a small clearing in the midst of a peaceful forest. Green stained sunlight and the distant sound of running water created a peaceful setting, that Harry felt unacustomed to. Wherever he went he was always on edge, so this was a real treat. In the center of the clearing was the true destination, a quaint white-washed cottage.

"Welcome to the Lupin Manor Harry," Remus joked before starting up the path in the small garden in front of the house.

"This is where you live?" he asked in astonishment. For some reason, he had pictured Remus living somewhere in town.

"Not since I graduated Hogwarts. It was my parents' house, but it was left to me when they passed away two years ago. However, then everything was happening and so I never did use it. Now though, I think it would be best for you to be away from everything, and Grimmauld Place would do nothing for either of our spirits right now," he commented as he started tapping on boards.

"Yeah, I guess... what are you doing?" Harry asked about his curious actions.

"Looking for the spare key. Dad sealed the house so only an enchanted key can open the door. He hid a spare in the wall for me in my later years as... ah, here it is... as I had a tendency to stay out late with the guys. Only a Lupin could open the board, but we'll have to fix that for you," he answered while unlocking the weathered door with an old-fashioned key. The lock clicked open and Lupin pushed the door in to reveal the interior of the cottage.

The walls were a soft yellow with bookshelves containing many books, mementos, and photos that a fine layer of dust hid from Harry's sight. The floors were the same light wood as the bookshelves and seemed to continue through out the house down a hallway and into the kitchen. Overall, the house was light, airy, and open and Harry immediately felt at ease here. It was more comfortable and personal than Privet Drive, but less chaotic than the Burrow. It was just nice.

"It's not much, but it's home," Lupin commented awkwardly.

"It's amazing. I think I'll like it here," Harry assured him, earning a small smile from his former teacher.

"Well, if you'll follow me, I'll show you your room." They walked down the hall and Harry was led to the last door on the right side of the hallway where the name _Remus John Lupin_ was emblazed on it with gold letters. "Ah, something else to fix as well. So, obviously this was my room, but I think you'll like," and with that he pushed the door open dramatically to reveal Harry's dream room. The carpet was a light beige that bordered on gold and the walls were a fiery red. The bed was positioned under the window and was dressed in red and gold striped bedding with a desk on the opposite wall that looked well used. But what really caught Harry's attention was the opposite wall. A forest mural was painted there, and in it were four animals. A white stag, a sandy rat, and a silver wolf sat staring at him curiously while a large black dog crawled up behind the wolf with an amused look on his face. Harry watched in a mixture of sadness and humor as the dog pounced on the wolf and pulled at its ear. The stag then proceeded to push the dog over and everyone ended up running about in circles. Harry walked over slowly, drawing their attention back, and placed a hand on the dog who wagged his tail at the touch. Tears began to fall. "Harry, I'm sorry. I forgot. Here, we'll put you next door," Remus apologized.

"No, I want to stay here. This... this is amazing," Harry chocked out. He ran his hand over the dog again and then over the stag who was watching intently. "I miss them so much Remus." Then he realized something. "No, I miss him. Merlin, I'm a terrible person! I don't even miss my own parents! What kind of son am I?" he yelled and cried. He began sobbing and slid down the wall, hating himself. Remus ran over quickly and pulled Harry into a tight hug.

"No Harry, you're not a bad son. Your feelings are completely understandable. You hardly knew your parents, you were so young when they died, of course you're not going to miss them. They're just really just names to you. But Sirius... you knew him. He was more real to you than your parents and it's completely understandable that you miss him more than Lily and James. Harry, there's nothing to be ashamed of!" Remus assured him. Harry didn't let up though.

"But everyone always saying how wonderful they were, and how sorry they are for me, and how much they miss them taht I feel I should to. It's like I'm expected to miss them. And they are my mum and dad! Shouldn't a kid miss their parents? I mean, I miss someone who's not even related to me more than my own family. It doesn't make sense. It shouldn't matter that I didn't know them," he argued tearfully.

"But Harry, you do miss them. The fact that this has you torn up shows that you do. You even said that you have memories of hthem however vague. Everyone knows that you would trade the world to have them back if you could, and you regret not knowing them, so you do miss them. But it is impossible for you to have the same ties to them that, say I, might have because I knew them for years. You only had your parents for a year, and you weren't even aware of that year really. So it's okay. And Harry, it doesn't matter if Sirius wasn't related to you in blood, because he loved you like a son, and he was the closest thing you had to a father that you can really remember. So, don't let anyone tell you how you should feel because they can't possibly know how you feel. Remember Harry, I was their best friend, and I can honestly say that James and Lily would never consider you a bad son, especially not because of this. Besides, depending on how you want to look at it, James loved Sirius like a brother, which would make him an uncle to you, so it a way, Sirius is family," Remus reasoned. Harry wiped the tears from his emerald eyes and nodded gently in understanding.

"I- uh, I apologize for that outburst. It was silly of me," Harry mumbled in embarrassment. He didn't like letting his emotions show, especially these emotions.

"Don't apologize Harry, there's nothing to be sorry about. Now, why don't you unpack and I'll see what we can do about lunch, okay? Good, let me know if you need anything." With that, Remus stood and left the room. Harry wiped again at his eyes to remove any left over moisture and looked up at the stag who eye's seemed to sparkle a little brighter.

A/N: Sorry this took forever, I got swept up in other things, then school got in the way and basically life was working against me. I honestly have no idea when I will be able to update again with IB and AP tests coming up, but hopefully you won't be left waiting until summer starts. Thanks to everyone who reviewed; your comments really cheer me up.


	4. Chapter 4

Harry slowly chewed his sandwich, waiting for Remus to break the awkward silence. He was not one to show emotion and this last outburst was simply mortifying to him. He was thankful though that Remus did not seem to be holding it against him and was currently staring off into space.

"Well Harry, I think there are some things we need to talk about. Admittedly, I was not planning on bringing you back with me. Your aunt simply wanted someone she could get answers from and someone from our world that you could perhaps spend a bit of time with to help you cope. Please, don't get me wrong, I am thrilled to have you stay," he added as Harry glanced nervously down at his plate, obviously feeling as though he had intruded. "However, with my condition and your predicament, we need to decide on some things. First, what are we going to do about protection? Your safety is compromised here. The house is unplottable, and I can put up wards, but you expressed a need to be alone, and I will respect that, but that means the Order will not be trailing you. Then, we have the matter of my being a werewolf. Someone will need to watch you," he reasoned. Harry was about to protest that he did not need a babysitter but from the look Remus was giving him, he knew it was just as much for his piece of mind, as for Harry's protection. Harry nodded and thought about his options.

He could go and stay with someone, the Weasley's perhaps, but that just did not appeal to him. There he would be fussed over and he would need to confront Ron (and perhaps Hermione) about the prophecy and what had happened at the Ministry. He needed to be alone with someone who did not view him as a child and knew that he needed space, so that was out of the option. There was the option of going to Grimmauld Place and staying with the Order. The adults there were probably clever enough to leave him alone, but then again, he had no desire to go anywhere near that house, but the idea of being surrounded by then was good. He figured that Remus would be fine with someone coming over to stay with him. They were in a remote place and only three people knew where he was so it would not be necessary for an entire guard to come over. Yeah, that sounded good. He introduced the idea to Remus who contemplated it for a moment.

"Well, admittedly, I would prefer that you left the house. I would be transforming in the basement, which is warded and locked so the likely-hood of me getting out is very slim, but there nonetheless. But, I guess you have already decided against that option? All right, I'm sure that that can be arranged. Did you have anyone in mind? Mad-eye or Kingsley perhaps?" he suggested. Harry pictured the members and immediately ruled out several. Snape, Mundungus, and Mad-eye were out of the question. He had nothing against Moody; he respected him as an auror, but he could be very... over-bearing at times. He thought about Kingsley, then Hestia Jones and Emmeline Vance, but he did not know them very well so that did not appeal to him. Basically, that left the older Weasleys, the Hogwart's teachers, Professor Dumbledore, and Tonks. He immediately dismissed the idea of one of his teachers watching him. That just seemed awkward to him and the idea of spending a night in the presence of Professor McGonagall just scared him. Dumbledore was also dismissed, as he was not ready to face the older wizard, having destroyed his office just a week or so ago. The Weasley brothers, Bill and Charlie did not sound bad, but then again, if Mrs. Weasley found about that they knew where he was, then it was likely that she could persuade them to tell her.

"How about Tonks?" he suggested. Remus chocked on the water he had just sipped and began coughing. Harry found this most unusual of a reaction, but shrugged it off, guessing that Harry would have picked someone more experienced or someone he was more familiar with.

"A-are you sure about that? I mean, Tonks here... and I... I never thought you were particularly close," Remus stumbled over the words.

"Yeah well, she seems cool and like someone who would not think of me as a little kid who needs to be constantly watched but who could do the job should the need arise," he explained. "Besides, she was Sirius's cousin and that could be comforting, and maybe this would give her something to focus on. But, are you alright with that?"

"Yes, I'm fine with that. Why wouldn't I be? Tonks is a very capable member of the Order and you make some very good points. I will contact her later to ask about it," he answered perhaps a tad defensively. Now Harry was intrigued. He felt there was something more to this picture, but now was not the time to pry. "Alright, so then there is the whole getting you better thing. I find the best thing to do is get a project going. So, is there anything you would be interested in doing, a skill you want to learn or a subject of interest to you?" Harry thought about it but shrugged; he really didn't know.

"I like Defense against the Dark Arts, and some of that stuff is cool," he mumbled. He wasn't really interested in anything right now.

"Alright, well we can investigate aspects of that. I know you're not really into anything right now Harry, but we have to get you back into something that isn't mourning. Besides, between the war, our isolation, and my financial state, things will get boring real quick for you here, so I recommend you find something soon." Harry nodded in understanding and fumbled with his rolled up sleeve. He was in one of Dudley's old t-shirts that was huge on his lackey frame. He had to roll the sleeve up be able to use his arms. Remus watched him for a moment, his eyebrows knit together. "Harry, what are you wearing?" he asked, observing the state of his clothes.

"Some of Dudley's old things. It was this or my uniform," he explained. Remus shook his head and sighed.

"We'll have to go shopping sometime. However, I think some of my old things are up in the attic and they should be fine until then. Come on," he prompted, clearing the counter with a flick of his wand. They head back down the hall and with another flick, a ladder dropped down from the ceiling. The two climbed up and came out in a dusty, messy room. Boxes and trunks were all over the place. Remus moved over to let Harry come up, but he looked utterly confounded on where to begin. There must have been a million places to start. Thankfully, his mother was just as organized as he was and the boxes were labeled, so his stuff was quickly identified. He levitated the twenty or so boxes marked "Remi's stuff" down the ladder and into Harry's room. They quickly left the dusty room and began to open boxes.

"I can't believe she kept my baby clothes!" Remus cried as he held up a tiny pair of socks and a bib. Harry laughed, trying to imagine Professor Lupin as a baby.

"Well, I'm sure they were very special to her, Remi," he teased, invoking the dreaded nickname, earning him a swift glare.

"Don't go there. You should have heard some of the names Lily gave you, Shnookims," he fired back. Harry turned a bright red as Remus chuckled softly.

"She really called me that?" Harry asked as he opened a box of books.

"Yes, and James and Sirius hated it. They claimed it was insulting to their Prong-let," he explained with a sad smile. Harry returned his smile with a nod.

"I like that, Prong-let. Did I have any other names?" he asked curiously. This was something he was interested in, his childhood. He had grown-up in a household where he had been referred to as "boy" and "him" and on occasion "it". It was nice to know that at least for sometime he had been referred to affectionately.

"Well, Sirius liked to refer to you as Puffball, and I... well, I called you Pup," he admitted. Harry was surprised, sort of grasping the affection behind the name.

"Pup," he repeated it, trying it on for size, "I like it." Remus blushed and muttered 'thanks.'

"Oh, here we go," he said, waving Harry over to a box filled with jeans, shirts, and robes. He left Harry to change and was allowed reentrance after a few minutes. He assessed Harry's new appearance and gave him an approving nod. "It seems a fairly good fit, perhaps a bit too long, but much better than Dudley's things. Yes, they'll definitely work for now." Harry looked down at his appearance, very pleased with the results. He looked over at the boxes then back at Lupin.

"You want to go through the rest of them?" he asked. Remus got a smile that was reminiscent of a child on Christmas and the two spent the afternoon looking through the boxes. Many of them contained old books, some had toys, and others held more clothes from different stages of life. Finally, one trunk remained. Harry opened it to find it filled with pictures and letters. Remus leaned over to see what was in it and his face fell a bit, but simultaneously took on a new glimmer of happiness. He pulled the stacks out of the trunk and he and Harry huddled close so they could read the letters or examine the photographs to which Harry would get a long explanation of the situation under which it was taken. They started out from his Hogwart's days, letters from Sirius, James, sometimes Peter, and few other people, then turned into letters from after school and the tone of these letters definitely held a darker tone, though they always held pleasant topics. There was also Harry's parents' wedding invitation, his birth announcement, and other such things. One letter though really struck his attention.

_Dear Mooney,_

_We're sorry you could not make it to Harry's first birthday. We know how much you would have loved to have been there, hope you're feeling better. It was a very small affair, just tea with Bathilda. Poor girl, her memory's definitely going, but she's been so sweet to us. Harry seemed to have enjoyed himself. He definitely has your love of chocolate as his cake was smeared all over him. James blames you for that. Thank you for the stuffed wolf; Harry loves it. He clung to it all night long. I think the cat felt a bit rejected, but she's forgotten that because Harry's nearly run her over on his toy broom. Remind me to kill Sirius for giving him that. I honestly don't know why you hang around with those two crazies Remus._

_Besides that, things are very quiet and dull here. James is going mad with boredom and Dumbledore has his cloak still so he can't escape. I wish you could come and visit for his sake, but with the Order and your condition, I imagine that would be too difficult. Take care of yourself and we'll see you soon._

_Lots of love,  
Lily_

Remus and Harry both had tears in their eyes by the time they finished that. For Harry, it was proof that his parents had really existed and that he had been loved. It also gave him insight into a life he could not remember. He had had a cat; he used to sleep with a stuffed wolf; Sirius gave him his first broom and he was dangerous on it; Lily formed her g's the same way.

"This was the last letter I got from her. After that, it was too dangerous to send post. I did get to see them one time after that, but it was only for a few minutes under grave circumstances," Remus explained tearfully. Harry, although hesitant, leaned in and put an arm around him. Remus smiled and pulled Harry in close. "I can't tell you how happy I was to hear you were alive. Through the darkness, you were a tiny little beacon of hope. I was actually going to go and get you from your aunt and uncle's but Dumbledore stopped me, explaining the situation. I don't know that there wasn't a day when I thought about you, wondering what you were doing, what you looked like, and I felt helpless not being able to take care of you. So when Dumbledore offered me a teaching position, I jumped on it knowing that I would be able to see you again, and believe me, that was an amazing year being able to see how wonderful you've become Pup. I'm proud of you, Sirius was, and I know your parents would be too." Harry felt a fresh wave of tears, but this time, it was from the undeniable feeling of being loved.

A/N: Sorry this took soooo long! I've been focusing on another story that I just was enthralled in thanks to a school paper and whatnot. So, here is the next chapter. I hope to start updating more regularly. Preferably, I will be most of the way through this story by the time school begins, because then I will be excited to write and make time in my hectic schedule to update whereas this is build-up stuff. So please read and review and remember, if you hated it, don't just tell me, tell me how to make it better.


	5. Chapter 5

Harry came out one morning, about a week later, to find a severely fatigued Remus bent over the breakfast bar with a cup of tea. For a moment, he considered creeping back upstairs and letting him rest a bit longer, but he was soon spotted. Remus ran a hand over his eyes and gave a half-hearted smile.

"Mornin' Harry. Tea?" he weakly motioned towards the tea pot. Harry sat down and shook his head negative.

"Did you not sleep well?" he asked.

"No. Well, yes, but that isn't why. It's the full moon tonight." Harry felt like kicking himself for not remembering. This was such a crucial part of Remus's life, of his life now, and he had forgotten it. Remus must have read his face, because he instantly told Harry not to feel bad about forgetting at all.

"It's not something you constantly live with, so I don't expect you to remember. Besides, I've forgotten too," he half laughed, trying to make light of the incident in Harry's third year. He'd been so distracted by Sirius's appearance at Hogwarts that he never took his potion and transformed into a dangerous werewolf in front of his students. Harry tried to smile, but couldn't muster the strength. That was the first time he ever met his godfather. "I shouldn't have brought it up. I apologize for that."

"No," Harry told him. "That was one of the happiest moments of my life, believe it or not. It was the first time I realized that someone actually loved me and wanted me. There were my friends, but that's different than... do you know what I'm saying?" Harry asked, not entirely sure where he was going with this. Remus developed this sad smile, and his eyes looked through the counter-top into the past.

"Yes, I believe I do. I had a similar sensation when my friends didn't abandon me upon hearing that I am a werewolf. My family loved me, but in a way, they couldn't help that. Sirius, Peter, your Dad, they didn't have to stick with me, but they did." Harry now experienced a new feeling, the feeling of relating to someone. This was something else he never truly felt with anyone. A small smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "What?"

"I- uh, I'm glad you brought me here," he said, not wanting to sound as stupid as he thought he might. Remus returned his smile.

"Me too Harry." They fell into silence and slowly, Harry experienced that awkward sensation that comes from having nothing more to say at a tender moment. He drummed his fingers on the counter-top as Remus took a few more sips of tea before moving to make himself toast.

"Do you want any?" Harry asked. Remus paled slightly at the thought of food and shook his head no. "You really should eat something to keep your strength up."

"Believe you me, take the Wolfsbane Potion and tell me if you can eat after that," he challenged light-heartedly. Harry grimaced. He had asked him what it tasted like when he'd walked in on him taking it one morning. Nothing about "a combination of tar, rutabaga, pumpkin, and raw meat" made him want to taste that ever. "Perhaps it will take the taste out of your mouth at the very least," he suggested. The older man just shook his head slowly and raised his cup slightly.

"This is doing the trick. Thank you though," but to placate Harry, he added, "Don't worry, I will eat something today. I've tried transforming on an empty stomach and it's not fun at all." Harry spread butter on the warm toast and took a big bite out of it.

"What time is Tonks getting here?" he asked around the chunk of bread. Remus swore slightly under his breath.

"I forgot about that... 4 o'clock." Harry noted this reaction with mild interest. Something about Tonks got under his skin. But he had bigger concerns and didn't say anything more about her.

"Why so early? The moon isn't out until 8:30," he commented.

"This will give me a chance to show her around a bit, play the host, catch up on Order business, and..." he trailed off, looking down at the creamy liquid before him, "it gives me a chance to slip away early should it become too much." Harry didn't understand this last comment and asked for further explanation. Remus explained that in the days leading up to the full moon, the pull became steadily stronger, created the feeling of irritation and restlessness. This was why he never had a class the day of the full moon. "Certain students were trying on the best of days. Those days, it would have been too much. I dare say that at times, even Neville Longbottom tried my patience with his struggles." Harry slowly chewed on his latest bite, a knot twisting in his stomach.

"I hope I haven't been too difficult these past few days," Harry apologized for whatever he might have done. With a slow sigh, Remus pushed himself up to fully face Harry, one hand still gripping the counter for support.

"Don't think that. If anything, you've been a nice distraction. You're an easy kid, and I enjoy having you here. You're not a burden at all." Seeing that Harry was assured of this, he leaned back and looked around the house. "Have you written to you friends lately?" The guilty sensation came back as the truth was, he hadn't written to them in two weeks. "I'll take that as a no. Well, today would... be a good day to do that. I also believe your aunt could use an update," he suggested. Harry agreed this would be a good idea. Ron, worried enough on his own, was probably being tormented by his very protective mother. Harry finished his breakfast, showered, and then stayed in his room for the rest of the day, determined to be as easy as possible on Remus.

The letters took a lot of thought, particularly Aunt Petunia's. He kept anything magic related to a bare minimum and obviously made mention of tonight's events. He simply mentioned that their friend, Tonks, was coming over today. As for Ron and Hermione, he was much more open with them. He did restrain himself on the more emotional details, especially with Ron, but he had much less to hide from them. He finally sent Hedwig on her way around 12:30 and finally crept down the hall to find Remus asleep on the sofa. He was sprawled out, one arm dragged on the floor while his long legs dangled off the other arm of the couch. The sunlight that fell from the window highlighted the scars across his face, but also brought out the brown in his graying hair. For once, Harry realized just how young his former professor really was. He now found his project. In the midst of all this chaos, he was going to help Remus live again. But first, they had to get through this transformation.

If there was one thing he was grateful for from all his time with the Dursleys, it was the self-sufficiency he gained. At the very least, he would never starve. There wasn't a lot of food in the house, but he managed to throw a salad together and find a few sausages to fry. Remus awoke to the sound of sizzling meat. He slowly wiped the sleep from his eyes and stumbled into the kitchen.

"Whatcha doin'?" he mumbled, still half asleep. Harry flipped the sausages before answering.

"Making lunch. I told you I'd make you eat sometime today and I doubt you'll want dinner."

"Can I help you?" Harry, in a perfect impression of Aunt Petunia, sharply pointed a pair of tongs as the table.

"No, just sit down and rest," he instructed. Remus looked rather shocked, but sat down anyways. It'd been a long time since someone had taken care of him. Harry pushed his glasses up and then dished the meat onto the two plates laden with salad. He placed the plates on the table and began eating, only to pause when he noticed Remus only picking slightly at the leafy vegetables. "Is there something wrong with it?" he asked, concerned he'd added something wrong into it.

"It's just, around this time, I cannot stand vegetables at all. All part of mental change. I know I should eat them, but... I really don't want to," he explained before spearing a forkful of greens and forcefully swallowing them with a grimace. Harry couldn't help it. He burst out laughing. Remus flicked a carrot at him in protest, but he was smiling too.

"And here I thought you were Lily's son. All responsible and mature... nope, you're James's kid," he determined. Harry shrugged.

"I'm just complicated like that," he said in all seriousness, only the twinkle in his green eyes betraying his humor. That earned him another carrot. "HEY! That's not fair!" With that, he retaliated with a cucumber. For the next ten minutes, the kitchen was alive with the sound of laughter as the two threw salad bits at one another. Finally Harry, at the disadvantage of not having magic, surrendered as several radishes bounced off his head. Remus called off the attack and the two sank to the floor in side-splitting laughter. It took a minute for them to calm down.

"Thank you for that Harry. It's been awhile since I've had that much fun," Remus admitted.

"Same here. We definitely needed that," Harry agreed. They didn't move from the floor, but finished their lunch there, neither one wanting to break this peace.

"You realize you have to clean this up don't you?" Remus finally told him. Harry looked rather flabbergasted.

"What? You started it!"

"Ah, but it was your smart mouth that caused my carrot throwing," he determined.

"But as the mature adult, you should have handled my smart mouth better," Harry countered.

"I'll fight you on this," Remus initiated a new battle. For the next few hours, a war was waged, and Harry considered his personal goal started.

Eventually, Harry had gained the upper hand, causing Remus to take refuge in the living room. He had thrown together a fort of pillows and cushions and was about to unleash the mushroom missiles when a knock sounded on the door.

"Time out Harry!" he called, stepping out from behind the fort. He drew his wand and pressed his ear to the door. "Identify yourself!" he commanded, all hint of play gone. He'd explained earlier to Harry about the new measures the ministry put in place to keep people protected.

"It's me, Tonks," the muffled voice answered. Remus turned around the glance at the clock and sure enough, it was 4pm. He grimaced and quickly pulled the lettuce out of his hair. "What is your original appearance?" he asked the prescribed security question.

"Must I answer this Remus?" she pleaded. He reminded her that it was protocol. "Fine. My hair's originally light brown, eyes are green, and I have a button nose," she conceded. Satisfied that she was Tonks, he let her into the house. Tonks glanced around the house, her hair changing from a very light pink to a slightly darker shade with her amusement. Harry had never seen her hair long and it was generally a violent shade of hot pink. Was something wrong with her morphing ability? "Did your salad explode?" she asked humorously. Remus ran a hand through his hair, exhaustion suddenly evident on his face as the excitement caught up to him.

"Harry and I were trying to settle a disagreement," he explained vaguely.

"About what?"

"As to who was going to clean up after the first food fight," Harry explained, his hand still holding a bunch of broccoli. Tonks gave him a friendly smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Wotcher Harry," she greeted him. "I can see why you two needed my help. Who started it?" At the same time, Harry and Remus accused the other. Tonks laughed lightly and determined that Harry should clean it up since she and Remus had things they needed to discuss. Harry muttered something about how simple it would be for two people able to use magic to clean this up. Remus just shook his head before inviting Tonks into the the living room.

"How are you Tonks?" he asked, his question more loaded than it seemed. She shrugged.

"As good as can be expected. Between the Order, Sirius, and well... you know, I'm holding together," she answered, her hair converting to it's natural mousy color. The last part caught Harry's attention. What else could she be referring to? Obviously not something with the Order as she covered that. Was there something going on at the Ministry? He would have to pry into that tonight. "And you?"

"We're doing well. Just adjusting to this new situation and all. It's been hard at times, but we've had some good times," he added, gesturing to the mess. Tonks nodded and quickly changed the subject.

"So what's the plan for tonight?" she asked with a forced cheeriness. While Remus really didn't like talking about this aspect of his life, he did appreciate the effort she made to make it more normal. He explained that he would probably head for the basement very soon, tired from the afternoon's frivolities, and that she could just make themselves at home. He didn't expect there to be any problems, though as this was his first attempt at making the wolfsbane potion himself, and potions was not his strong area, he didn't know. He also, to Tonks and Harry's dismay, added that while the door was charmed, that he didn't want her to hesitate at all should something go wrong. She paled but nodded anyways.

"What news from the Order?" he asked after a moment of silence.

"Nothing much. We've relocated to the Burrow for the time being. Dumbledore suspects that we could still use Grimmauld Place, but he needs Harry to test his theory. He wants you to contact him. He asked me to give your location so he could drop by, but I explained that you both wanted a bit of space. He understands that, but he does want to see you," she told him. Harry felt a pit form in the bottom of his stomach. He didn't look forward to seeing the Headmaster again. Dumbledore had always been an excellent mentor to him, but he just didn't want to face him.

"Well, we'll talk about that later," Remus said diplomatically ending the conversation. He remained with them for a little while longer, but finally, it did become to much, and he retired to the basement. Harry, done with his cleaning, came into the living room to join Tonks and so began their night.

_A/N: Hate that ending. I couldn't think of a better way because this was supposed to include the next chapter, but with things going on, it's becoming difficult to write, so I'll try and get that up in a few days. Since it's Independence Day and all tomorrow I'll be busy, but I should get some writing down tonight and the day after. So what did you guys think? I almost abandoned this story but decided to give it another shot. I've abandoned too many stories and I need a challenge. Please review!_


	6. Chapter 6

Harry fell back into an overstuffed arm chair with a big sigh. For the past hour, he just hadn't felt entirely well. The normally warm house was feeling cold and his stomach just would not settle. He didn't know what was up with him. Whatever it was, he would get over it soon hopefully. He stared at his feet for a few moments and thought about what would be happening in the basement in a few hours. It was only 6:30 so Remus had about 2 and a half hours more before the transformation really took effect, but he'd been so exhausted that he had to leave earlier in hopes of resting up. Harry was at the understanding that because he took the Wolfsbane Potion, the transformation would be less painful and that Remus would maintain most of his mind, if not all of it, and therefore it would be an all right night. Still, the idea of having a transformed werewolf just a door away from him slightly unnerved Harry. The fact that it was a dear friend and mentor did not ease the situation. If anything, it made it more difficult. He sighed once again and glanced over at Tonks.

Her normally pink, spiky hair was now shoulder length and a mousy brown. Her eyes were also a golden brown and her generally joyful expression was absent, replaced with a look of grief. It seemed, for whatever, she had put on a good mask for Remus, but now that he was gone, she couldn't hold it anymore. Harry imagined it was out of consideration for his transformation. Not knowing Tonks all that well, he was unsure of what he should do. Slowly, ignoring the sudden lurch of his stomach, he got up and made his way to the sofa, sitting a close, but considerate, distance from the grieving young woman.

"You're thinking of him aren't you?" he proceeded with caution. Tonks, who suddenly flushed red at being caught in her vulnerable state, nodded and turned her face away for a second to wipe away the tears that had filled her eyes.

"Yeah. I was glad to see Remus again, so it was easy to forget for a little bit, but... uh... I don't know where I'm going with this. Life's just been rather awful lately and seeing a friend have to go through something this awful and remembering some of the tales S-Sirius told me it just... you know?" she rambled in a rather confused state. Harry smiled sadly in agreement. He knew perfectly what she meant. He also felt better knowing someone else was feeling the same way. Remus was so articulate and hid his feelings well on the matter, thus Tonks's difficulty in explaining it was refreshing. He could definitely relate to that.

"I get like that too," he told her. "Being here with Remus, it's been great and I feel genuinely happy, but at night, it's torture. I see him, watch him fall in my dreams, and sometimes even the tears won't come," he confessed. Just last night he'd sat up awake after a particularlly violent nightmare and watched the black dog run around his wall.

"At least you're here with someone you can talk to. Do you guys talk about it often?" she asked. Harry picked at the edge of the cushion where a few threads were coming loose.

"Hardly." How did he explain how embarrassed he felt? Every time he considered bringing it up, he worried about being a burden knowing that Remus probably didn't want to talk about it and seemed to do just fine not thinking about Sirius.

"It's a bad comparison, but when my cat died when I was nine, I refused to talk to my parents, and was content to just cry myself to sleep every night, but it really wore at me. Eventually, they caught me and it really helped. I don't know, but maybe you guys should, or we can talk if you want to," she suggested. Harry took this as a subtle hint that she wanted to talk, but she quickly told him otherwise. Now wasn't the time. "So what have you two been up to? It seems like a cool place to be," she remarked, changing the topic. Harry shrugged.

"Not much. We mostly hang around, maybe dig through the attic. We went hiking around the forest one day. It's nice around here," he told her. She sat up a little straighter and stared at him with a look of horror.

"Wait a minute! Let me get this straight. Here you are, in this lovely wilderness, probably miles away from anything trying to get you, and you've only been outside once?" she nearly shrieked. Harry moved a few inches back and glanced around the room as if for a way to make his escape. What did he say wrong?

"Err- yeah?" he answered hesitantly. She jumped up and grabbed him by the hand, dragging him to the front door. "Wait, what are you doing?" He tugged back in a feeble attempt to free his hand. For someone so thin, she was very strong.

"I watched one person slowly fade away in the confinements of a house. I won't let it happen to you too," she swore. Now he knew what this was about: Sirius.

"Tonks," he called softly, catching her attention this time. Tears were now streaming down her face. "You couldn't have done anything to help him. Even if he hadn't been locked up, he would have come after me anyways. Besides," he tried to choke down his own emotions now as he drew on Dumbledore's words, "he went the way he would have wanted to go. He d-died fighting for the people he loved. For you and for me." One sob escaped him as Tonks drew him to her. Together, they silently cried, understanding each other's pain.

"Thank you Harry," she whispered. He just nodded against her shoulder. With a more genuine smile, she gently pushed him away to arm's length. "Come on, let's get out of here. Some fresh air could do us some good," she reasoned.

"Is that safe?"

"I am an auror and a full member of the Order of the Phoenix! And you're Harry Potter. Not exactly a defenseless person are you?" she joked. He shrugged with a light-hearted smile and followed her outside.

On their last outting, Remus had told Harry that the cottage was located on the otherside of the Forbidden Forest, the safer side. They were probably about sixty miles from the castle as an owl flies. On foot, it would have been drastically longer given the small mountains between them and other rugged terrain. The clearing where they were located, was a small oval in shape with the cottage placed more towards one end. About a mile down from the far curve, the trees gave way to a large pond surrounded by grass. This is where he and Tonks went now. They didn't speak for awhile and just listened the the lapping of waves, the wind, and various birds. Eventually, Tonks kicked off her shoes and walked down to stand in the cold water. She traced circles on the surface with her right foot while balancing on the left. Harry, admittedly, was quite impressed with this minor display of agility. Tonks was one of the clumsiest people in the world. He too removed his trainers and went to stand beside her.

"It's lovely isn't it?" she asked quietly as if louder volume would drive it all away.

"Yeah. It is." He really didn't know what to say.

"I'm surprised you don't come down here more to swim. I would've been here every day," she told him. He shrugged and reminded her that he hadn't been here that long.

"And I can't swim." She tried to turn to face him, but that movement finally threw her balance and Tonks fell into the shallow water. Howls of laughter escaped them both, easing the subtle tension that had strained the air before. Tonks, deciding not to be the only fool, grabbed Harry and pulled him down, not realizing just how deep it got. Harry went completely under, and came up sputtering, pushing his glasses up his nose. He sat in the little ditch, water up to his waist. In retaliation, he splashed her. She squealed as she laughed at him. Harry got up and went to sit on the shore, shivering a bit from the evening air. Tonks came up and sat beside him.

"I'm going to teach you to swim!" she declared. "It'll give me a chance to relax between work and the Order." Harry again shrugged, but he didn't mind the idea. Perhaps these little diversions could help Remus too. He stayed indoors with Harry and perhaps a bit of exercise would help him. "I could stay tomorrow and we could do it then. All I'd need to do is pop home and get my suit," she offered. Harry shook his head no.

"Sorry, I don't know that I'll really be up to it tomorrow. Not feeling the greatest," he admitted. She placed a hand to his forehead.

"You do seem to have a fever... maybe we should get you home." Slowly, they walked back to the cottage.

Harry quickly went downhill from there. He changed into his flannel pajamas and wool socks, but he was still cold. His stomach was churning and he was simply miserable. Tonks was doting as she could be, but not being the wonderful do-it-all woman that her mother reportedly was, she could only go so far. She did manage to conjure up a bland chicken soup and keep him well stocked in tea.

"I'm really sorry about this," he told her weakly when she came sat down. She brushed away his apology.

"It's no problem. Everyone's bound to get sick eventually. I might have to stay anyways. Between you and Remus, you'll both be a right mess," she determined. Harry laughed weakly and snuggled further under the throw blanket. Whenever he was sick at the Dursleys' he was confined to his room, but Tonks had insisted that he stay out here. Supposedly, company made things more bearable.

"So what's going on with the Order?" he asked. The society had been such a crucial part to last year that he felt the need to keep up on things as best he could. She shrugged and began giving him a few things. Mainly they were trying to guard potential attack sights, areas rich in Muggles, and tail known death eaters. Apparently Fudge had resigned as Minister of Magic, handing it over to Rufus Scrimgeour. There were other things, but not as big as that.

"Dumbledore wants to talk to you by the way," she told him at the end of her report. Harry could think of a few things that might prompt that. Just after the mess at the Ministry, Harry had destroyed the headmaster's office in a fit of grief. On top of that, there was the prophecy and the now inevitable duel between him and Voldemort. He didn't look forward to this.

"I'll get back to him then." They fell into silence, listening to the fire crack and pop, each wondering separately what was going on just below their feet. Eventually, Harry drifted off and fell into a dreamless sleep.

_A/N: So that took a few days longer than I expected. I was originally going to make this a really dramatic scene of angst with a crazed werewolf beating against the door, clawing at it, but then I realized, that that couldn't actually happen. So, I had to start from scratch. It was commented that my characters are probably ooc to some extent. I have trouble with this. I'm trying to make it as in character as possible, so please give me just a little bit of room. I technically can't keep them totally in character to have this work. Please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

Remus pulled his shirt half-heartedly back on, but could not muster up the strength to do the buttons. He didn't have his wand and his back was bleeding steadily. It was better either way as he didn't need bigger blood stains. It was right now that he missed Snape. Potions had never been his strong point and somehow he had managed to mess up the Wolfsbane Potion. Thankfully, it wasn't a lethal mistake, but it had been ineffective. This was perhaps the worse transformation he had experienced in a decade. Even that mishap Harry's third year hadn't been this painful. Padfoot had been there. A wave of emotional pain surpassed his physical agony, and he quickly worked to shove that down. Now wasn't the time to dwell on this. With enormous effort, he dragged himself up the stairs and pushed the door open. Years before, his father found a rare locking spell that identified individual fingerprints. This allowed the door to remain safely locked when he was transformed, but on the rare occasion his parents slept late, he could get himself out without a wand. He was eternally grateful for this spell.

The door fell open and he stumbled into the morning-lit kitchen. Everything had a soft, glowing nature about it, birds were chirping in the background, and he couldn't care less. Mostly out of habit, he fell into the living room, just to find Harry on his couch. By some miracle, he overcame momentum and fell onto the armchair. His heavy lids fell closed and he allowed himself to think. Based on Harry's current position, he and Tonks must have had a good time together. He was glad only he had to suffer last night. She appeared to be gone though, left early to avoid any contact with him. He didn't blame her.

The day of the Ministry accident would have stood out in their minds even if nothing happened. They'd been on patrol together the night before near Hogsmead due to reported Death Eater sightings in the area. They were both tired but didn't want to sleep, so they got breakfast at the Three Broomsticks and there it had happened. Over cups of pumpkin spice coffee, Tonks revealed that she loved him. In these dark times, they had flirted a bit to lighten the dark atmosphere, and even in moments of mild intoxication, a kiss or two had been exchanged, but it had never gone beyond that. At that time, he made the mistake of revealing that he liked her too, but shot down any hopes for a relationship. He was too old afterall. She was twenty three and he was thirty-six. Thirteen years older than her, it wasn't right. Then he was dirt poor, unable to offer any kind of support. And most importantly, he was a bloody werewolf! He was too old, too poor, and too dangerous for her. Tonight certainly proved that. Had the accident with Sirius have never happened, perhaps she could have eventually persuaded him to change his mind, but seeing Sirius fall and realizing that all his friends were dead, made him realize just how much she didn't deserve to give up her youth and liveliness for him. Needless to say, she was a complete wreck after that.

She had appeared better last night, but he imagined it was more a bad disguise to put on a good face for Harry. He hoped she didn't tell him anything about this. He didn't think she would do that.

The door slammed open, breaking him out of his thoughts. Tonks fell through the door with bags of groceries falling all around her. Remus instantly sprung up, ignoring the searing pains of tearing flesh, and helped her up. She rubbed her hip as she levitated the bags off the ground.

"You should have done that in the first place," he teased her. Her hair became a slightly darker shade of pink and she smiled bitterly.

"But that would have made too much sense. After all, I'm just a foolish young girl who doesn't know anything," she mumbled angrily, tearing at him. He sighed and followed her into the kitchen.

"Tonks, I never said that. You know what I meant. I just thought you weren't thinking about this entirely objectively," he explained sadly.

"Oh, like you can?" she bit back.

"Why are you doing this?" She sighed and began sending bagged items to their proper places.

"Sorry, I just had a rough night and I'm not exactly a morning person. Why can't you just consider it though? Give us a chance!" she pleaded. Her eyes killed him.

"Please not now Nymphadora," he begged her. Right now, he was tempted and he couldn't allow his resolve to waver. "Not in front of Harry." She glanced behind at the sleeping boy and nodded in respect.

"Don't call me Nymphadora." He chuckled lightly and finally noticed what was going on.

"What are you doing?" he asked, indicating the flying groceries.

"Molly would be appalled by the lack of food in this place. She's always complaining that you and Harry are far too skinny and I took it upon myself to make sure you can properly feed yourselves. In your condition especially-" she trailed off as she really looked at him for the first time. "Remus!" she gasped. "What happened?" He looked down to find that blood was still running down his chest and arms. It didn't really bother him anymore, but this was a shock for her.

"The potion didn't work. It's nothing," he shrugged it off. She still didn't stop staring. "You didn't have to do this. I was going to go to the market tomorrow," he tried to change the topic.

"I wanted to help."

"Let me pay you back."

"No. It's a gift from a friend."

"Would you do this for Shacklebolt or Emmeline?"

"That's different."

"My point exactly," he finished in bitter triumph.

"They aren't taking care of someone without steady pay," she argued.

"Still my point," he ended it. She inhaled deeply and vanished the bags.

"Molly's coming over today. I saw her in the market and told her I was staying here to take care of you and Harry today. Don't try and interrupt me Remus. He's sick. Nothing too serious, just the flu or something, and you're clearly not in a state to watch him. She insisted on seeing him. You know how much he means to her. She made me promise I would tell her when he was awake so that she could stop by for a short time," she informed him. He nodded and rubbed his sore shoulder. "You should go get washed up. It would be terrible if those were to get infected." She was right and without another word, he headed for the bathroom. A cold shower would do him some good.

Tonks sighed once the door was closed and went back into the living room to find Harry staring at her. She apologized for waking him up, but he assured her it was all right.

"What were you guys argueing about anyways?" Harry asked, wiping sleep out of his eyes and rearranging his glasses that were only hanging on by one ear. She recounted the later part of the arguement, complaining about how she was just trying to help and full moon or not, he didn't need to be so defensive and snappy. Harry nodded as she ended and Tonks suddenly had the feeling she was a child about to be lectured by a teacher.

"Well, I totally see your point. I offered to help too, set some kind of room and board fee, but he wouldn't hear a word of it. On the other hand, I do understand. I get the same thing at times. People treat me specially because of who I am and it gets annoying. Given how he's treated by people over the whole werewolf things, chances probably are that he wants to be treated normally in any way possible and he just sees this as more... singling out. You get it?" he ended. Tonks shrugged, understanding where Remus might be coming from and also knowing a little bit more than Harry did about why this effected him so much. Either way, she didn't regret what she did.

"Molly's stopping by today as well. I'm supposed to floo her whenever you wake up. She's worried about you in case you didn't figure that out already," she teased him. Harry went slightly red and felt his already upset stomach get tighter. He really wasn't that ready to see her yet, especially not in this state. "Don't worry," Tonks assured him, "I'll be there so I can ward off some of her mothering. And do know, she does this to everyone. She'll probably be fussing over Remus as well." Harry felt better about that, but wondered why she'd worry about Remus. He took his potion, he should be fine. When he asked, Tonks paled a bit and her hair lost some of its pinkness. "The potion didn't work out correctly. He was pretty beat up. He's showering now to make sure the wounds don't get infected." Harry instantly tried to get up to go check on him, but Tonks forced him back down. "He's not worried about it. He can take care of himself, so you just stay here and rest." Harry reluctantly sank back down and realized she was right. "Now, are you feeling up to breakfast."

"Not really," he grimaced.

"Well if there's one thing I remember from my mother it's that you need to keep hydrated so you're going to have some tea at least. I'll get that after I floo Molly," she left and Harry sank back onto the throw pillow. He closed his eyes for a moment, but the thud of someone landing in the fireplace and hte hurried footsteps alerted him to the fact that Mrs. Weasley had wasted no time getting to him.

"Harry!" she cried maternally, quickly rushing to his side. She began checking his temperature and looking him over. "How are you feeling?"

"Not too great, but I'll live," he joked lightly. She finished taking his pulse and suddenly pulled him into a hug that, despite his earlier reservation, warmed him to the core.

"We were all so worried when you just disappeared. Even Dumbledore didn't know where you went to, but we were very pleased when you wrote Ron to tell him you were here. Tonks explained the situation a little bit today, and I do understand why you would come here, but if you want to come to the Burrow, you're always welcome dear," she explained in a rush.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley, but I'd like to stay here for at least a bit longer," he told her politely. She smiled and stood up, turning around, but paused to dig in her robe pocket. "I nearly forgot! This is from Ron and Hermione. I collected it before I left to save Pig the flight." With that, she left to find Tonks and left him to read. It was clearly written by Hermione, but signed by both of them at the bottom.

_Dear Harry,_

_We're so glad to hear from you. We hope your summer is going well. It must be better than staying with your aunt and uncle at least. We just find it so odd that your aunt would think to contact Prof. Lupin. That doesn't sound like her at all. Ron would like me to tell you, and I quote, "Blimey Harry, you're living with a teacher! What's that like? Are you being lectured everyday?" Really, you do not have to dignify that with an answer. I did remind him that this is Lupin, not Binns, that you're talking about and he was a maurader. I'm sure you're having an excellent time and sorting everything out. We'd love to be there with you and are always available if you need us. Perhaps we'll see you soon? If you're feeling up to it, you and Lupin should come to dinner one of these days. The Order has relocated here pretty much and there's always people over so it wouldn't be odd at all.  
__Everything is fine here. I arrived just a few days ago. Mom and Dad are traveling about the country and understand that something is going on. They feel better having me around fully trained wizards eventhough they still don't know the full extent of the danger. But besides the occasional Order business, nothing has really changed. They've subjected me to a Quidditch game yesterday. I'll never forgive Ginny for knocking me off the broom. I don't know what she has to complain about mate! She at least has female company. I only have Bill now but he's all different now that he's engaged to Fleur. We didn't tell you that did yet! Apparently they got together while he was teaching her English and now this. Wedding is set for next summer. But come as soon as possible. I need another man in the house! Honestly, Ron is just acting tough. He has yet to express any dissatisfaction over this. But again, do come and visit. We can't wait to see you!  
__Love,  
Hermione and Ron_

There was a certain reluctance to see them again. He would eventually have to tell them about the prophecy, something he wasn't looking forward to, but he did miss his friends. Perhaps he could visit later this week.

XXXXXXXXX

The thing that was really terrible about werewolf wounds was their reluctance to heal. It was dark magic that caused his transformation and so the cuts could not be sealed with magic as normal marks could be. He had underestimated the depth of his marks and knew they would leave raised welts like many of his older scars. He dabbed gingerly at his arm and the turned to his back. Unfortunately, his arm was longer as a werewolf and he couldn't reach the deeper claw marks. His two options were to either to levitate the cotton ball or to call Tonks in. He didn't have the strength to concentrate enough to achieve the fine motions that would go into levitating the ball, but he didn't want Tonks to see him like this either. Still, what choice did he have? After a moment of mustering his courage, he poked his head out of the bathroom door and called her name. Instantly, he kicked himself. Had he listened a second longer, he would have heard that Mrs. Weasley was here and he could have asked for her assistance, but Tonks was here now and it was too late.

"Is everything all right?" she asked concerned. He inwardly grimaced and could not look her in the eyes.

"I need your help." It killed him when he heard her gasp upon seeing the years of self-inflicted damage recorded on his upper body and broke his heart when he felt her gentle touch, carefully tending to him. He had hoped, looking for a silver-lining, that this would prove his points, but as she gently helped him, he only wanted her more. But as he closed his eyes and imagined their life together, he pictured the pain she would slowly develope as he grew older, poorer, and more damaged and she flourished in her youth. He couldn't do that to her.

"Does this hurt?" she asked after about ten minutes.

"Not too bad."

"Oh, well you're just really tense. I wanted to make sure," she told him awkwardly. Apparently she didn't like the silence.

"No, you're doing fine. I... uh, I'm just not used to people seeing and well... it's you and all," he confessed. Tonks stiffened behind him and made quick work of everything. By the time he turned around, she was glowing a bright red. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Had I known, I would have asked Molly," he apologized, but she shook her head.

"No, it's all right. I didn't mind seeing... it's just sad is all. I can't imagine what you must have been through all those years, and to be so young," she whispered. Her fingers, acting on their own, traced a few of the angrier purple welts. "Which one's the original?" she asked, not thinking about propriety. He put his leg up on the bathtub edge and pulled up his pant leg to show a vivid white bite just above his ankle.

"I was four. Greyback wanted revenge against my father for some reason. Well, he succeeded. Mom was just about to call me in for the night when he attacked me," he told her. She walked forward and wrapped her arms around him comfortingly.

"I'm so sorry Remus." He allowed himself a second to savor the moment and then pulled away.

"Please don't do this Nymphadora." His voice was laced with pain.

"Don't call me Nymphadora," she challenged him. He stared at her as two dogs do in a dominance battle, and then he looked away. He pulled his shirt on and walked out. This couldn't happen.

He put on as happy a face as he could muster and walked out into the main part of the house. Mrs. Weasley was fluttering around Harry, who she had propped up on pillows with a large cup of tea. Harry sent him a look that clearly read "SAVE ME!" It wasn;t very hard to play the poor victim to get Molly's attention. He limped possibly a little more than he needed, but it wasn't a far cry from the truth. The moment she spotted him, she rushed over. While she never was particullarly fond of Sirius, she had always fussed over him like he was one of her children, and not just ten years younger.

"I'm so sorry to hear about what happened! Do contact Severus next month. I'm sure he'll be willing to help. Are you all right? Can I get you anything? You look so skinny. Can I fix you something to eat?" she asked, already summoning pots and pans.

"No, thank you Molly. I just need to rest. I'll be fine. How's Harry?" he asked, recognizing that not everything was right with his pup.

"He'll be fine tomorrow I'm sure. Just a bug. Nothing to worry about. If he takes it easy today he should be back on his feet in the morning. How have you two been here?" she asked in a more serious tone. Remus looked down at the table as he answered her.

"Things have been good. I love having him here. We've talked a little bit, but I don't think either of us are quite ready right now," he told her. She sat down next to him and covered one of his scarred hands with hers. He couldn't help wonder how she could do that knowing that only hours before, that hand had been a vicious paw.

"I know don't have to worry about either of you being consumed by grief, but at the same time, staying cooped up can't be healthy. Why don't you two come over sometime for dinner. You haven't been to meetings lately and Harry would enjoy seeing Ron and Hermione again. It may help to get back into the swing of things," she suggested softly. He uncovered his hand and ran it through his greying hair. There was a certain amount of peace here that he knew would be shattered the minute he rejoined life. Here, he could almost forget there was a war going on, but not outside. But Molly was right, he needed to come back to reality, and he had some plans for Harry.

"Molly, have you thought, after what happened, about letting Ron join the Order? At least attend the meetings?" The matronly woman looked completely shocked at this. He was her youngest, besides Ginny, and it was bad enough for her to let Fred and George join even though they were adults.

"Of course not! He's just a boy. He hasn't even started his N.E.W.T.s. He couldn't possibly be ready for that. Why would you ask?" He shrugged and looked out the window without really seeing what was before him.

"I've been thinking. Sirius thought Harry had a right to know what we knew, and after that, I think he might have been right. What would have happened had Harry known what we were guarding and why? What if he knew the true nature of Voldemort? After all he's been through, he still knows so little, and I think eventually, he'll run out of luck without true education on what he's facing. And Ron and Hermione, Neville, Luna, they were all there with him, and I don't think they'll stay out of it now. I think they have a right to know what they're up against," he reasoned. Mrs. Weasley would have none of it though.

"Remus, listen to yourself, this is crazy. They're just children. They don't need to know about everything just yet. I would be better that Harry didn't know so that... so that he didn't feel obligated to get more involved. I get the feeling that he thinks this is his battle, and it doesn't have to be, not yet anyways." He shook his head though. He'd woken up to Harry screaming several times, and listened outside his door. He didn't understand it, but he always heard him talking, probably to the wall, about this battle, and how he didn't want to do it, and how he was going to die. He'd never been able to bring himself to ask about it, but he knew something deeper was going on with Harry.

"I'll think about it. It probably would be good to get out of this house," he agreed.

"And... Dumbledore wants to speak with both of you. He would like you to meet him at Hogwarts tomorrow if that's possible." Dumbledore was the kind of man that you did not refuse anything to, so as long as both of them were in good enough health, they would be there. "All right, I should go then. I just wanted to make sure you two were doing all right. Harry's fine, and you should live. Make sure to keep him hydrated and for the love of Merlin, do eat something. You're too skinny!" she snapped back into her fussing self. Sometimes it completely threw him how Molly could be the worried mother hen one minute and then be the fierce witch who proved so valuable to the Order.

"Thank you Molly. Give Arthur and the kids my regards!" he called after her as she walked into the fireplace. With a shout, she was gone. Remus went back into the living room to find Tonks standing in the middle of the room with a wooden spoon and a bright pink, flowered apron his mother had worn long ago.

"Now that she's gone and Harry can breath, you sit down this instant. You are tired, injured, and I will not let you suffer today. I may not be as skilled as Molly, but I am taking care of you two today whether you like it or not," she told him firmly. Remus couldn't help but smile. With a roll of his eyes at Harry, he took a seat in the armchair and let Tonks have her way. It had been awhile since he'd seen that glimmer in her eyes, and he wasn't going to kill it again today.

_A/N: I know I said this would be a light chapter, but the characters took this in a totally new direction. Still, this is happier than the next chapter. I hope it's okay, and hasn't killed anyone's opinion of the story. I really had to work Remus and Tonks' relationship in there. While this is still mainly a HarryxRemus fic, it does come into play much later on. Please review!_


	8. Chapter 8

Harry was awoken by someone shaking him. He shoved the hand away and rolled over, pulling the pillow over his head.

"Go 'way Ron," he mumbled.

"Harry, it's summer time and 10 o'clock to be exact. We have a meeting with Professor Dumbledore in an hour. Breakfast is on the table and I ironed your shirt," Remus announced as he threw open the curtains. Harry growled into his pillow as he blocked out of the sunlight, though the meeting did influence his unfavorable opinion of being awake.

"Why're ya so happy? Aren't ya 'possed to be all tired and healin'?" he asked irritably. Remus threw back the covers and pulled the pillow away.

"Nope. It's the nice thing about being an experienced werewolf. I bounce back quickly and there's a nice boost of energy that comes with it. Oh, and I've always been a morning person. It drove your dad crazy!" he whispered as Harry glared at him.

"I can't imagine why," he bit back sarcastically. Remus shrugged dramatically.

"It's a mystery to be too. Come on, you need to get ready," he ended seriously. Harry fell back down onto the mattress.

"Must I?" Remus sat down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"I know Harry, but whatever it is, this must be important. I'll be there with you and we can talk about anything afterwards if you want to," he promised. Harry nodded solemnly, but the prospect still wasn't pleasant. An hour later, they were outside the Headmaster's office.

"Harry, Remus, thank you for coming here today. I hope you're both well," Dumbledore greeted them grimly.

"We are, thank you. What can we do for you Headmaster?" Remus asked. Harry was trying to do everything he could to not look at Dumbledore.

"I was wondering if I could speak with you first, Remus? It shouldn't take long Harry," he assured him. Harry nodded and quickly left the room. "How is he doing?" Remus shrugged. Harry was a complex individual. Most of the time, he looked fine, but at night... the nightmares, crying.

"I guess as well as can be expected. He's been having night terrors lately, but he watched his godfather die. It's to be expected," he analyzed. Dumbledore nodded sympathetically and crossed his long fingers. The twinkle in his blue eyes was absent and simply expressed pure sadness.

"Of course. Now, Remus, are you aware that Sirius appointed you as Harry's guardian in his... absence?" The younger man shook his head no. "Well he did, but there are problems with that arrangement." Remus sighed and looked up at the pictures of past headmasters.

"You mean, because I'm a werewolf..." he trailed off, not wanting to end that sentence.

"Actually, no. The Ministry, in their prejudiced blindness, never placed an limits on parenting rights of persons of mixed species. They made the mistake of assuming that no one would ever leave a child in the custody of someone of your nature." Remus couldn't help smiling at this news. After years of Ministry red tape, it was nice to hear they hadn't restricted something. "No, the problem is the protection Harry has with is aunt and uncle." The smile melted. "As long as Harry calls Privet Drive home, Lily's sacrifice will protect him outside of the Order and Hogwarts. If you were to adopt him, then Privet Drive would not be his home, and he would be vulnerable." Remus processed that information, but found a loophole. Harry would be staying with him and perhaps the Weasleys during the summer, and then he would be at Hogwarts. The next summer, the protection would be broken.

"Well, since Harry will be 17 next year, wouldn't it really matter if he broke it a little early? My house is practically unplottable and well-guarded. He would be safe there. Granted, we don't have any such plans for that and Harry probably wouldn't be interested anyways, but how much of a difference would it make?" Dumbledore nodded at each point he made, but it was not in agreement.

"I understand your perspective, but it's not like that. It is true that Harry will be vulnerable after next July, but it's more complicated than that. The security at the moment is rather limited since Voldemort used Harry's blood to resurrect himself, but the protection is still beneficial. What's more important is that this protects his family and we do have a "spy" amongst our ranks. If we were to break the spell early, Snape would be obligated to report it to Voldemort," he explained. That did complicate things. 'Then again,' Remus thought, 'if the Order is not consulted, then Snape can't tell and Voldemort will never have to know.'

"I understand completely headmaster." With that, Harry was summoned back and the official meeting began. As Dumbledore sorted through rolls of parchment, Harry guiltily looked about the office. He identified things he'd smashed just a month ago. Something were gone completely. The portraits around him whispered disapprovingly of him, or so he thought. He couldn't actually hear what they were saying, but that's what he imagined. He glanced over at Remus who was staring at Fawkes without actually seeing the bird. Something Dumbledore said must have really interested him. Was it about the Order? Voldemort? Him?

"Now, the first matter I'd like to discuss with you both is in regards to Sirius's will. The ministry just released it. You'll be glad to know that in doing so, they also cleared his name of all charges. Sirius also left a few additional notes in Grimmauld Place that he knew could not be privy to ministry eyes. I thought it wise to not say anything until then. In regards to his estate, Remus John Lupin, you have been left 2000 galleons and, he presumes you'll understand this, his personal collections." Remus, who's eyes were glossed over, let out a half sob, half laugh as he muttered something about a "sly devil." "To Harry James Potter, he leaves a sum of 10,000 galleons and the rest of his personal possession including 12 Grimmauld Place."

Harry turned, stone-faced, to look at Fawkes. This was just great. He never wanted to set foot in the house his godfather had hated so much, but now he owned it. "The Order can can have it, keep it as headquarters. I don't want it."

"That is quite generous of you, Harry, but we do have one problem. Grimmauld Place is set to pass to the next male heir. As Sirius was childless and his brother long deceased, it would pass into the care of Bellatrix Lestrange." The name had a profound effect on both men. Remus gripped his chair and clenched his jaw in anger. His eyes turned murderous and dark. Harry, much less refined than Remus, sprang to his feet.

"No! She can't!" Remus hesitantly took Harry's arm and guided him back into his seat. Harry calmed down, breathing deeply, and gave an apologetic smile. Remus rubbed his shoulder and didn't let go. Harry took a degree of comfort in the contact.

"Of course," Dumbledore began again, "we would prefer to avoid that situation. There is a simple test though. If you have truly inherited Grimmauld Place, then you have also inherited," he waved his hand, causing a screaming, ugly house elf to appear, "Kreacher." Kreacher lay on the floor, his arms beating the floor and his legs moving faster than Harry had ever seen them move before. He was screaming 'won't' repeatedly, much like Dudley used to when he was a child. He was showing quite the reluctance at passing into the ownership of a "filthy half-blood." "Give him a command Harry. If he's yours, then he must obey," Dumbledore cried over the rucuous. Harry tried to think, but between the screaming and his shot emotions, only one thing came to mind.

"Kreacher, shut up!" Instantly, the noise stopped. Kreacher sat up, his hand around his throat, and attempted to scream, but the curse on the species kept him from yelling. Instead, he went back to kicking and beating the floor in silent protest.

"Very good," Dumbledore said in a normal volume. Harry grimaced as he realized he owned a house elf. He inquired what he was supposed to do with him now. "Well, as he is a security threat, and naturally you wouldn't want him to follow you all the time, especially with Miss Granger's views on this matter, I might suggest you send him to work in the kitchens with the other Hogwarts house elves. They could keep an eye on him and it would keep him busy." Harry agreed and ordered him down there. Dumbledore then touched on a few other matters, primarily of the care of Buckbeak. Harry had no use for a hippogriff and as Buckbeak was originally Hagrid's, it was decided that, new christened Weatherwings would stay in Hagrid's care. "Excellent, now Remus, if I might have a word with Harry?" Remus stood and left the room with an encouraging look at Harry. The boy was now paler than normal and looked as if he wanted nothing more than to bold out of there.

XXXXXXXXX

Remus straightened up as Harry stormed down the stairs, tears falling down reddened cheeks. He followed the distraught boy down the castle lawn and through the gates where they silently apparated away. Harry was now doing his best to choke down sobs. Remus put an arm around Harry and guided him into his room where he collapsed onto the edge of the mattress before breaking down. The four painted animals, who had been playing enthusiastically, now quieted down and watched. Remus knelt down and pulled Harry into a tight hug. The dog sat down and began crying too as the wolf pawed at the wall, trying to get closer. The silver stag tried to comfort the dog and ironically, the rat nuzzled Padfoot's paw in sympathy. Slowly, Harry calmed down as Remus rubbed his back.

"What happened Harry?" he asked quietly. Harry pulled away and rubbed his eyes.

"Nothing."

"Tell me Harry. You can't keep this bundled up inside you forever. I've heard you at night. I know something is bothering you. You can trust me," he pleaded forcefully. Harry shrugged and looked away.

"He just asked how I was doing, if I liked being here with you, and how I was coping. He also asked if I would all right with him giving me private lessons next year if he found the information he was looking for, whatever that means," Harry answered truthfully, but his answer did not add up to his reaction.

"And this caused you to cry?" Remus asked completely confused. Harry shrugged and began twirling a corner of the sheets between his fingers. He glanced at Remus a few times as if deciding whether to say something. He opened his mouth once, closed it, and then finally spoke with a sigh.

"Did Dumbledore tell you the contents of the prophecy? The one you were guarding?" Remus startled at this change of topic. There was a lot going on in The Prophet about Harry being the chosen one and something about a prophecy, but surely that couldn't be true.

"No, why?" A minute passed before Harry worked up the nerve to continue.

"Well, er- years ago, Prof. Trewlaney predicted that a child would be born who's parents had thrice defeated Voldemort. This is what Voldemort found out, and went to kill the child. However, this could have applied to either Neville or me. What Voldemort didn't know was that when he tried to kill me that he fulfilled the second part of the prophecy that said the dark lord would mark the child as his equal... as the person who could finally kill him. It said, 'Neither can live while the other survives.' Remus, I have to kill him or he'll kill me." The silence between them was palpable. Remus fell to the floor and braced himself against the side of the bed. He could never have imagined something this awful. Harry was so young and to have this thrust upon him... at any age it would be awful! Hadn't he been through enough?

"There's no way around this?" he asked hollowly. Harry shook his head. "What can you do?"

"Well, I can hope to learn as much as school can teach me and then eventually face him. But if we get more teachers like Umbridge or Lockhart, I don't know what I'll do. My chances are slim already." Remus sprung up and gripped Harry by both shoulders.

"Harry, I swear to you that I'll do anything to help you. I'll teach you anything you want to learn. You... you mean the world to me and I won't lose you. Not without a fight." Harry's eyes welled up with tears, but not out of fear this time. He threw his arms around Remus's neck.

"Thank you." Remus returned the embrace.

"Of course, Pup." He ran a hand over Harry's head, smoothing back his crazy hair. "We'll start tomorrow if you like. I'll floo the headmaster and see if we can't borrow a classroom." Harry nodded. Any edge he could get would be highly beneficial. "Excellent. Now, you look like you could use a pick-me-up!" he said enthusiastically as he sprang to his feet. Harry, in a state of sheer confusion, followed a now abnormally happy Remus to his own room. He'd never been in here before, but was not surprised to find it simply decorated in a palate of warm earth tones. Remus was currently digging around under his bed for something. He'd never seen the professor drink before and wondered if Remus actually had a secret supply in his room to keep Harry's image of him clean. After all, in times like these, Harry did not necessarily blame him for resorting to less-than-healthy ways of coping with the trials of the war, but why would he now be offering it to Harry, an under-aged wizard at that!

Remus gave a small cry of victory as he finally secured the object and pushed himself onto his feet, revealing a decent-sized box. He motioned for Harry to follow him out into the living room where he summoned two over-sized bean bag chairs.

"I've always insisted that there's only one true cure for distresses on the soul, whether it be stress or other emotional upheaval. Your dad and Sirius gave me such a hard time about my little addiction until our fifth year when the trials of O.W.L.s finally led them to listen to me. They are my proof that it does work, and I believe this is a very appropriate time," Remus explained vaguely. Harry was rather shocked to hear Professor Lupin admit to illegal activities, even something as minor as this. He was even more shocked that he now was assisting another minor in such pursuits. In his third year, Remus had reprimanded him for using the Marauder's Map when he himself was one of it's creators. Had that merely been a show to keep his teaching position?

"Do I need to remind you that I'm only 15. It's illegal for me to drink Firewhiskey," Harry informed him slowly, like a parent talking to a very small child. Remus's brows knit together in confusion.

"Of course I know that Harry. Why- oh! No, Harry I'm not talking about that! No, I'm talking about chocolate!" he laughed as he opened the box, revealing a mountain of chocolate frogs and several bars of Honeyduke's chocolate. Harry laughed at his own misunderstanding. He should have known.

"Right... but I thought chocolate only cured the effects of Dementors," he said as he took a chocolate frog.

"It's the same principle. Dementors attack a person's emotions, or soul. You are undergoing a great deal of stress that is wearing upon you and it's taking a toll on your spiritual health. So chocolate, being the ultimate soul food, helps reduce these effects as long as the cause of the stress is taken away. So today, we have a day of frivolity and come up with a game plan for your studies and tomorrow, we get down to work and begin helping you," Remus explained as he expertly snapped a giant bar in two.

"I think you're making this up," Harry protested.

"By the end of the day, tell me you if you don't feel better and I'll eat my cloak."

XXXXXXXXX

Remus was right. The rest of the day was spent talking and laughing. Remus told Harry about the antics the Marauders had partaken in, and Harry recalled some of Fred and George's pranks that managed to even impress Mooney. There was talk of girls, and Harry ended up bright red as Remus teased him about his close friendship with Hermione. Of course, all he had to do was begin prying into Remus's life and that topic of conversation quickly ended. Finally, they came up with a plan for the summer. It was agreed the best course of action would be to focus on Harry's weakness with a training schedule similar to an auror's. Remus agreed to have Tonks help out on occasion, though Harry once again noted he seemed rather reluctant about that. They would begin tomorrow as a day of review to see where he needed the most work. Harry already knew his potions were below par (a fact that did not bode well for continuing Potions next year) and that his transfiguration could be better. Remus also promised to show Harry more advanced Defense spells and charms to offset the dreary work. Overall, Harry was optimistic and he had to admit that the chocolate might have influenced his elation.

That night, Harry went to bed with a smile and slept all the way through the night for the first time in weeks.

_A/N: Hi people! So I thought this would be a dark chapter, but not really. I don't know why, but I just can't do emotion right now. I think it has something to do with the boredom of summer. I'm like our dear professor, I like school to a certain degree. I like to be busy. This was written mostly in one night while watching PoA. Hopefully it doesn't suck too much. I can't write dialogue very well and that's what this chapter mainly is. Please don't flame me! I honestly don't know what the next chapter will look like, so it might take some time for me to post that. Plus, I want to focus a bit on my other new story. I'm running into problems with that one. Anyways, enough from me. I hope you still liked it and I'll appreciate reviews. Thanks!_


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning was an even earlier morning for Harry. Much to his annoyance, Remus seemed even more upbeat than yesterday as he shook him awake. He tossed a pair of sweats and sneakers at Harry as he groggily sat up and tried to comprehend what the man was rambling on about. Harry slowly changed out of his pajamas and went out into the kitchen where he sipped down a glass of pumpkin juice. Finally, he was dragged out of doors into the crisp morning air. As his lungs filled with the cold morning mist, he finally became clearly aware of his surroundings.

"Wait, what are we doing?" he asked when he noticed Remus stretching.

"We're starting your training. Dueling is gruesome in long stretches as I'm sure you're aware, so we're going to work on your stamina. We're jogging around the pond." Harry shrugged. It didn't sound so bad. He estimated it was roughly three miles around. He had never had to run that far, but he was used to running for his life, so it would be a pleasant little jog. With a few stretches, they were off.

By a mile and a half, Harry wanted to die. He now realized that there was a difference between the fleeing he was used to and actual jogging. This time, he only had his muscles to push him forward. And to make it even worse, the beach they started on did not continue around the entire circumference as he'd thought, so in addition, he was jumping over fallen logs and struggling through bushes. He couldn't breathe, his muscles were screaming, and he was bleeding. He hated nature. Professor Sprout better watch the green houses when he got back to Hogwarts because they might suddenly burst into flame or a pack of Hippogriffs could be unleashed in them. He didn't know where he would find a herd of Hippogriffs, but it was possible- not that he would have anything to do with it of course.

"Come on Harry, keep going. Remember to breathe," Remus called from up ahead. "You're losing to an old man." Harry laughed angrily as he tripped through a patch of thorns.

"No. I'm losing- to a- bloody- WEREWOLF," he called back in between gulps of air. Remus just laughed and pushed forward. Harry simmered with irritation and forced himself to keep moving. At last, a half hour later, Harry finally stumbled onto the beach to find Remus lying in the sand, his bare feet digging into the wet sand battling with the small waves that crashed upon it. Harry fell down beside him with an indelicate 'umph' and pulled off his shoes and socks. The water was freezing, but Harry's feet were on fire and at that moment, he'd never felt anything better.

"I hate you," he sighed, causing the werewolf beside him to chuckle lightly, his eyes still closed.

"Sirius used to tell me that all the time. I'm not much of a Quidditch player, but I would sometimes join the practices and when we finally made it back to the Common Room and he and your dad would be ready to collapse, I would be bounding with energy. He would also say to me, 'Remus Lupin, I hate you and your stupid energy bursts, you stupid, bloody werewolf.' Your dad was usually too dead to talk and settled with vague hand motions." Harry laughed at this and was surprised that the jolt of pain he felt at thinking of Sirius was not as heart-wrenching as before. "Well, we should get cleaned up and fed. Dumbledore was willing to lower the guards in the Entrance Hall for us to apparate over there at 10:00." Harry was reluctant to move again, but he was eager to begin the magical portion of his training and found the strength to make it to the cottage.

XXXXXXXXX

Now washed and fed, Harry joined Remus outside the anti-apparation shields that surrounded the cottage. He had remarked to Remus that it would be easier to take the floo network, but both he and Dumbledore felt it would be best for Harry to have this experience. Harry didn't understand this. After all, so many wizards did this on a routine basis that it couldn't be anything terrible. Naturally, he would not be apparating on his own (he wasn't 17 yet obviously), but apparently there was a thing called side-along apparation that sounded a lot like a human portkey in the explanation. Harry just hoped it would be easier on his stomach than a portkey. Remus held out his arm, and Harry took it.

Apparation was not like a portkey in any way really, besides the flying through the air in a rapid manner. No, apparation was much worse. Harry felt as if he were being squeezed into an inch-wide tube. His head was going to explode from the pressure if he didn't suffocate first. It only lasted a terrifying second though. With a thud, Harry landed on the floor, and only managed to stay upright from his grip on Remus. Every inch of him was shaking as he tried to regain his balance.

"You see now why we wanted you to experience that then?" Remus asked with a sympathetic chuckle. Harry nodded, but did not respond as he focused on keeping down his breakfast. Remus maintained a firm grip on Harry as they made their way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room.

By the end of the hike, Harry was able to walk normally once again and successful in his mission to not throw up. They entered the room, and Harry had to look around to ensure that the awful toad, Professor Umbridge, was not lurking about, waiting to seek revenge on him. It was rather foolish, but he was weary of her. After all, she had attempted to use the Unforgivable Curses on him and she sent a dementor to his village in search of him. And this was before the he and Hermione let a herd of enraged Centaurs take her away. However, once he had been there for a few seconds and no spells had been cast at him, he knew he was all right and turned his attentions to Remus.

It was a huge comfort to see his favorite professor back where he rightfully belonged. Through a series of unfortunate events, Remus had transformed on the grounds one night in an attempt to bring Peter Pettigrew to justice and clear Sirius's name. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all happened to be there as was Professor Snape who then told the entire Slytherin House. Remus resigned the next day before parents could begin demanding his removal. Professor Lupin had been the only decent teacher his class ever had for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Moody came close if you didn't count the fact that he was actually a Death Eater in disguise.

"Well Harry, let's begin with basic charms and transfiguration. Professor Snape will be here later in the afternoon to cover potions. Don't worry," he assured Harry when he noticed the boy blanch, "I won't let him be too awful." Harry nodded and pulled out his wand.

"Whatever you say... Professor." Remus couldn't help smiling at the old title he missed so much.

The rest of the morning was spent review everything he'd learned in the last five years in charms and transfiguration. A lot of it, Harry was ashamed to admit, he had forgotten. Once he was reminded of it, he might remember it. Charms was overall better than his transfiguration. He was not very strong in that class, which kind of disappointing as Harry had wondered if he might follow his father and become an animagus. It would take a lot of work before he was up to that apparently. They now had a clear plan as to what he needed to focus on before they moved into more advanced magic.

Tired from all the magic, the two went down to the kitchens for lunch before Snape showed up for Harry's Potions evaluation. Upon arriving, they were attacked by eager house elves, including Dobby and Winky. Harry was bombarded with questions about the Ministry and what happened, but Remus shooed them away with a request. It was a simple meal of sandwiches, salad, and tea, but the elves were determined to please and threw themselves into their work. Harry looked around from his spot at the counter to find Kreacher skulking in a corner, sweeping up ashes from the fireplace. He muttered under his breath, probably about half-bloods and half-breeds and his days at the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black. Harry paid him little heed and instead turned to Winky, who was setting an elaborate table setting.

"How are you?" Harry asked. He'd first met her at the Quidditch World Cup in his fourth year. She came here after her master, Mr. Crouch dismissed her. She had been miserable afterwards, sharing the belief that a house elf's greatest purpose in life was to serve her family, and tried to sink her sorrows in butter beer. She appeared better though after Dobby took her under his wing.

"Winky is doing well, thank you Mr. Harry Potter," she responded sadly. Apparently two years was not enough time to fully get over her sadness.

"I'm glad to hear that. How is Kreacher doing?" Harry knew she didn't want to talk more about her feelings, it was unnatural for a house elf, and it was his responsibility to make sure that Kreacher was obeying the rules. Winky grew cross and shook slightly in her dirty dress.

"No offense to Mr. Harry Potter, but Kreacher is a very bad house elf. He does not respect Mr. Harry Potter and his friends. He fights with the other house elves and tries to escape, but he cannot," she reported. Harry nodded thankfully and called Kreacher over once Winky left. While Kreacher had to obey Harry, he did not speak when he came over. The broom was clutched weakly in his old hand and swayed side to side. Kreacher took great interest in this motion.

"Kreacher, you must be nice to the other house elves. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore told you this, and anything he tells you, you must obey as well. Is that understood?" Harry ordered. Kreacher murmured his understanding and walked away, still muttering about half-bloods. "I really cannot blame Sirius for hating him," Harry told Remus. Remus sipped his tea silently, refusing to say anything on the matter. He knew that had Sirius behaved better to Kreacher, the elf may not have betrayed him and he may have been alive right now. This truth was reflected in his eyes, and Harry poured himself a cup, not wanting to admit that Remus was right.

"After your lessons, we're going to go to the Burrow for dinner. There is a meeting there tonight," Remus told him in hopes of lifting the melancholy mood that fell over the table. Harry nodded and took a sandwich from the tray that was presented before them. "You don't seem very excited."

"I... I'm nervous about seeing Ron and Hermione for the first time since... well, we have a lot to talk about," Harry explained.

"They'll understand Harry. They won't pressure you if you're not ready to tell them anything," Remus assured him, speaking from personal experience. "Well, Hermione will at least and she'll keep Ron from bugging you too much." Harry had to laugh at the truth of that statement.

"Who was it for you?" he asked in return.

"James. Sirius kept bugging me about my condition and Peter shied away from me at first. Finally, your dad stepped in and told Sirius to shut up and Peter to 'grow a pair' as he so eloquently put it," Remus explained. They ate on in silence, each reflecting on the past and what could have been.

"Will you tell me what happens in the meeting?" Harry asked after awhile.

"Nope." Harry was quite taken aback by this. He thought Remus was on his side and understood that he needed to know all he could about Voldemort's activities. What was going on?

"Why not?" he protested a bit louder than necessary. Remus just kept eating his salad as if they were discussing the weather.

"No need to shout Harry. You'll understand later." Harry went to protest further, but realized it was useless and finished his lunch in a slightly more irritated mood. Once they both finished, they went down into the Dungeons where Snape was waiting impatiently. Harry felt an immediate surge of hatred shoot through him at the sight of his most disliked teacher. Despite what Dumbledore said, he still partially blamed Snape for Sirius's death. He could have tried harder to let Harry know he understood or stopped him from going. The two enemies glared deeply at each other and upon seeing this, Remus placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and gave Snape a sharp visual warning. While not one to back down, Snape still moved his glance to the lessons he had set up for the next four hours. He was still furious with Harry for seeing that memory during Occlumency lessons.

"Well Potter," he spat once Harry took a seat at the desk set for him, "I have decided we shall start from the very beginning considering that you have yet to produce a decent potion in this class that Miss Granger did not help you with. Please open the book and begin from the very start. We," he hissed, hating the fact that he was helping Potter of al people, "shall walk through the process at such a rate that you will understand every detail of the brewing process by the end."

Harry had not realized he could possibly hate Snape more than he had by the end of the lesson. For four long hours, he had endured Snape's snide remarks and insults without being about to fight back. Remus was constantly interrupting to remind them both to keep a civil tongue. By the end of the fourth potion, Harry wanted nothing more than to curse Snape beyond recognition, much like he did with Draco on the train. That would be so satisfying. Snape cleared the cauldron and gave him the assignment of preparing the next fourteen potions the rest of the week for testing the next time they met. Harry was relieved that he only had to deal with Snape once a week.

"Do actually try to do well Potter," he drawled. "And Lupin, remember that while you technically have the right, you are not his guardian so stop acting like it. I will withdraw my assistance if you keep interrupting like that." Remus looked like he too wanted to kill Snape, but without saying anything, turned and led Harry out into the Great Hall.

"What did he mean?" Harry asked once they were on the staircase out of ear shot.

"I'll explain later Harry. In the mean time, we should get going. I don't know about you, but I could do with a nap before the meeting," Remus changed topics. Harry was fatigued too, but was curious as to what Snape meant. Was Remus his new godfather? They entered the Great Hall to find Dumbledore waiting for them. "Thank you so much," Remus said graciously upon seeing the headmaster.

"Not at all. I was hoping I could borrow Harry for an hour or so, if that's all right with you both?" he asked, directing the question more at Harry. He shrugged and looked at Remus who of course gave his permission. "Ah, thank you so much. We'll meet you at the Burrow then. You were planning on attending, right?" Dumbledore clarified.

"Yes we were. I'll see you both then," Remus dismissed himself before apparating out of the hall.

"Where are we going?" Harry asked as Dumbledore offered his arm for side-along apparation.

"To meet an old friend." With that little bit of information, Harry took the arm and away they disappeared.

_A/N: This chapter only took forever and a half to finish. I had no idea how to start this. I've read a lot of training stories, but I don't like a lot of them, so I had very little to work with. Hope it wasn't terrible. Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I promise to get the next chapter up quickly. That one is planned out already. I thought I might throw it on the end of this, but it would be way too long and I want to update tonight. Enjoy!_


	10. Chapter 10

Harry and Dumbledore arrived in the yard of an average looking house on a very quiet street. The first thing that Harry noticed was the very muggle-like nature of the house. The second, was the destroyed nature of the house. The door was hanging by a single hinge and several windows were destroyed. Harry looked around and noticed that the muggles kept walking by. Something was off.

"Wand out Harry," Dumbledore instructed him in a grave tone Harry had heard only a handful of times from the normally cheery headmaster. Harry pulled out his wand and slowly followed Dumbledore into the house. Inside, the house was a wreck. Furniture was broken and scattered. Shelves were knocked over. Books and photos littered the floor. As they continued farther into the house, a sticky, red substance covered the walls and Harry has to resist the urge to run the other ways. Dumbledore continued towards it and inspect the blood.

"Huh, very well then. We're in luck, Harry. Now, to find him." Harry was taken aback by this comment. Did he mean he was still here, whoever they were looking for? Dumbledore moved towards a large, purple, overstuffed armchair that stood towards the back of the room. Without any apparent reason, Dumbledore poked it with his wand to cause a giant man to appear where the chair had stood. He was short, round, bald, and quite old. He was rubbing his eye that was watering from where Dumbledore poked him.

"There was no need to poke quite that hard," he scolded Dumbledore. "What gave it away?" he asked shamelessly. Harry would have expected more embarrassment from someone who had been discovered hiding as an armchair. Dumbledore lowered his wand with a fond smile.

"My dear Horace, if the Death Eaters had been here, the Dark Mark would have been over the house. Plus, that's dragon's blood," he indicated the walls. Horace grumbled slightly in irritation about forgetting the Dark Mark.

"Yes, I knew I had forgotten something," he acknowledged angrily.

"Would you like some help cleaning up?" Dumbledore offered. Horace accepted and so the two stood back to back and waved their wands in a slow circle. Immediately, everything began flying around to its original position. Trinkets repaired themselves in midair and furniture straightened themselves. The blood on the walls replaced itself in a glass vial. The house was now warm and inviting without an hint of its previous damage. As Horace surveyed the room, his eyes landed on Harry and they widened remarkably.

"Oho, oho!" he cried towards Dumbledore. Dumbledore, acting as if this was a normal reaction, placed a hand on Harry's shoulder and forced him a little more towards Horace.

"Horace, this is Harry Potter. Harry, this is my old friend and colleague, Horace Slughorn," he introduced. Harry went to hold out his hand, but Slughorn ignored the introduction.

"So this is how you plan on persuading me! Well the answer is no!" he cried to Harry's confusion.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Can we at least have a drink for old times sake?" Dumbledore asked defeated. Slughorn, while hesitant at first, retrieved a decanter and glasses for Dumbledore and himself. He seemed most unhappy as he sat on the repaired sofa, yet Dumbledore acted like this was a social call of the most normal circumstances. They talked briefly on how Slughorn was doing (very poorly apparently, which caused Dumbledore to laugh as Slughorn was still much younger than him), and if the Death Eaters were trying to recruit him. Apparently, this house actually belonged to muggles on vacation and Slughorn was simply moving about to keep them at bay. Harry imagined they were a group you could not say no to. Shortly after, Dumbledore excused himself, leaving Harry alone with this unfriendly host. Slughorn eyed him and fidgeted for a bit.

"You look like your father, except for the eyes. You have your-"

"Mother's eyes. I know," Harry finished for him. He was getting sick of hearing that from everyone he met. Slughorn swung his feet that didn't quite touch the floor as he looked behind Harry at a group of old photos.

"You're not supposed to have favorites as a teacher, but she was one of them. Brilliant witch she was, Lily Evans. I told she should have been in my house. Very cheeky responses I got too," he laughed distantly.

"Which was your house?" Harry asked politely.

"I was Head of Slytherin." Harry grimaced, which caused Slughorn to protest and defend himself. He reminded Harry that his mother was a favorite of his despite the fact that Lily was a Gryffindor and a muggle-born. "Odd how that works out, muggle-borns being such bright students," he commented.

"My best friend is muggle-born and she's top of our year," Harry told him defensively.

"Yes, I've known a good deal of them. I take it you're in Gryffindor then?" he asked Harry. He nodded in response which caused Slughorn to keep prattling on. "Naturally, it seems to run in families. I had the entire Black family in my house, except for Sirius Black. I take it you've heard of him? Been in the news for years now. Died a few weeks ago," he commented in an off-handed nature that caused Harry to feel as if he'd just been hit in the stomach. His talks with Remus had helped ease the pain, but having it so bluntly presented before him hurt badly. Slughorn didn't notice though. "He was a big pal of your dad's and a bright lad. I got his brother Regulus a few years later. Still, I would have liked the set." He talked much like a collector and Harry had this view assured when he began talking about other students he knew who went on to be very successful. Overall, Horace seemed to be one of those people who seem nice enough, but one could rarely be completely comfortable with.

"So, you're still in touch with all these people and yet the Death Eaters can't find you?" Harry asked once Slughorn finished talking about the tickets he got from the captain of the Holyhead Harpies amongst other things.

"Of course not. I've been out of touch with everyone for a year," Slughorn corrected him, yet the words had a profound impact on him as if he was just now realizing something. "Still, best to keep one's head down in such times. This post Dumbledore wants me to take up, I couldn't do it. It would amount to about the same as publicly joining the Order of the Phoenix, not that I don't support them. I just don't appreciate the mortality rate." Now Harry knew why Dumbledore was here, though he still didn't know why he had come along.

"You don't have to be in the Order to teach at Hogwarts. Most teachers don't and none have them have died, except Quirrell but he was working for Voldemort so it served him right." At the name, Slughorn gave a slight yelp and grimaced. "You know, I reckon Hogwarts is probably one of the safest places around as long as Dumbledore is headmaster. After all, he is the only one Voldemort ever feared," Harry reasoned. Slughorn looked as if he had a disgusting taste in his mouth.

"He never did want to pick a fight with him, that's true," he conceeded. "And as I have not joined their ranks yet, Voldemort cannot consider me a friend, so I might be a bit safer with Dumbledore..." he trailed off. Speak of the devil, Dumbledore reentered the room and called for Harry. "Are you leaving?" Slughorn asked.

"Yes, I know a lost cause when I see one," Dumbledore admitted reluctantly. Slughorn babbled incoherently as Dumbledore continued. "I would have liked very much for you to have taken up your old post, but I understand. Do know that you're always welcome to visit as you like. Goodbye." The two turned to leave the room, but Slughorn stopped them.

"All right, all right, I'll do it!"

"Very glad to hear it! Then we'll see you on the first of September," Dumbledore told him in a tone that alluded to the fact that he'd expected this all along.

"That you will. But I want a pay raise!" With more departing words, Dumbledore held out his arm and once again, Harry was squeezed through that tube known as apparation.

They arrived at the Burrow and Harry was filled with another sense of dread. During their last meeting, Dumbledore had told Harry he should inform Ron and Hermione about the prophecy, but he did not want to. However, they'd stuck by him all this time and it only made sense they know. The headmaster signaled for Harry to go ahead of him and it was at that time he noticed that Dumbledore's left hand was shriveled and black.

"Professor, uh, what happened?" Harry asked cautiously. Dumbledore looked down at his hand and simply laughed gently before covering it up with the sleeve of his robes.

"It's an interesting tale, but not for this moment. And I want to compliment you, Harry. You did well back there." Harry didn't realize he'd done anything and asked for clarification. "You persuaded Professor Slughorn to come out of retirement, something I've been trying to get him to do for a month now. A word of caution though. As I'm sure you noticed, Professor Slughorn has made a habit of collecting students who are smart, talented, or powerful. He formed a club of them and always did what he could to see that he was well-connected. You would be his crowning jewel if he can collect you, 'The Boy Who Lived' or 'The Chosen One' as they call you these days." Harry felt sick again at this thought.

The kitchen was abuzz with activity. Many members that Harry recognized had crammed into the already cluttered room. Harry had to squeeze through people in his attempt to find Remus. Many people greeted him, wishing him a good summer, and he gave them a thanks as he tried to maneuver through the crowd. Finally, he spotted Remus and pushed forward even more. However, his progress was impeded by bushy hair and red-faced freckles. Hermione threw herself at him as Ron laughed behind her. He returned the embrace once his brain caught up with everything.

"Harry! It's so good to see you. How are you? We were just talking to Remus and he was telling us about your training. It's a great idea! What did Dumbledore want?" Hermione bombarded him.

"Gosh Hermione, let him breathe! How are you mate? Been waiting for you to turn up," Ron greeted him with a clap on the back. He couldn't help himself. At the sight of his two best friends, he wore a smile from ear to ear.

"Doin' fine, thanks. It's great to see you two again. Really wonderful. He wanted me to meet a friend of his to persuade him to come teach. I guess he's going to be our Defense teacher," Harry explained. This then led to more questions, but they were silenced by Dumbledore calling the meeting to order. People placed themselves around the table or against a wall. Mrs. Weasley spotted them and began to shoo them out, but Remus caught hold of Harry.

"Not you. You're staying," he told him. Harry was shocked by this and smiled brightly. Mrs. Weasley, however, did not take kindly to this.

"What do you mean by this? He can't be in here!" Everyone was no focusing on them.

"I think he has every right to know what's going on. Sirius was fine with it, and after what happened, Harry needs to know what Voldemort is up to," Remus argued logically. But the motherly woman would have none of it.

"But he's just a boy, Remus! He doesn't need to hear everything."

"He's hardly a child. He's faced Voldemort more than anyone here has and is his main target. He needs to know so that he doesn't wander into a trap. I'd even go so far as to have Hermione and Ron stay here, but I have no say in that," he informed her boldly. Hesitantly, Hermione stepped forward.

"My parents would have no problem with it. They trust me to make my own decisions and would want me to be as informed as possible for my safety," she told them. Mrs. Weasley stared flabbergasted at her as if this simple comment was a rebellious uprising. She tried to speak, to argue, but nothing intelligent came to her. Finally, she turned to Dumbledore.

"Albus, surely you will not allow this! They are just children after all," she pleaded her case. Dumbledore gave her a gentle smile, but Harry knew what his answer would be.

"My dear Molly, I completely understand your desire to protect them from no further harm. You are justified. However, I do believe that Remus makes a valid point, and have no problem with them attending meetings only," he told her. She deflated slightly, but then swelled back up and turned to Ron.

"You, out!" Ron turned a slight shade of red and looked for a second as if he was going to go-- his mother was a frightening sight after all-- but he paused and stood his ground.

"No, I have just as much right to be here. They'll tell me everything anyways," he protested. He glanced at Harry and Hermione who nodded in assurance.

"I don't care, you will not be here. I'm not their mother, but I can still tell you what to do, and I say out!" she cried. Ron went to fight back, but his father stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Please Ron, just do it. We'll talk later about this," Mr. Weasley told him reasonably. Ron still looked sour over this, but he left anyways. Now that everyone was at peace, relatively speaking, the meeting could commence.

It consisted of reports from the senior members. There was a new Minister for Magic who was waging an all out war on known and suspected Death Eaters. However, as Kingsley pointed out, he was going so far as to arrest people for the sake of arresting them. Harry was shocked to hear that Stan Shunpike, the conductor of the Knight Bus, had been arrested. This Scrimgeour fellow was hardly better than Fudge in a way. Snape followed Kingsley, Tonks, and Mr. Weasley with his reports of Voldemort's latest plots and schemes. Harry noticed that his information, especially concerning an upcoming attack, was particullarly vague on the details, but upon asking Remus, he learned that Snape could not give too much away without Voldemort being aware he had a spy.

"I have not confirmed this, but there are rumors circulating that the Dark Lord is recruiting half-breeds including werewolves and vampires," Snape finished, eyeing Remus.

"Do you have any information regarding the use of Inferi?" Dumbledore asked.

"What're Inferi?" Harry whispered to Hermione. He would have asked Remus, but he'd suddenly gone blank at the mention of werewolves.

"Reanimated bodies killed by dark magic," she whispered.

"Not at the moment. It is a definite possibility I believe should the war continue," Snape answered. A few more people followed Snape, giving updates on the going-ons of known and suspected Death Eaters. Patrolling schedules were then verified and the meeting ended. It was not as exciting as Harry had expected, but the information was valuable. He felt very grateful towards Remus for allowing him to be there.

Ron and Ginny entered the kitchen on their way out to the yard where the group was filtering. They were immediately anxious for information, but both Harry and Hermione felt it was better to wait until Mrs. Weasley was not around to overhear them. Ginny understood, but Ron sulked a bit. Harry was surprised to see that Snape stayed behind and did not immediately leave after the meeting, as was customary, but as he got closer, he knew why. Snape was talking to Dumbledore in a quiet and stern manner about him.

"Headmaster, I question how wise it is to have Potter attend these meetings given his failure to master Occlumency. If the Dark Lord were to penetrate his mind durning a meeting-"

"Severus, you are absolutely right. However, given the nature of Voldemort's current activities, I do not believe he wishes to make the connection any stronger, thus allowing Harry to perhaps gain his secrets accidentally. I believe we are quite safe," Dumbledore told him. Snape responded, but Harry could not hear what he said, but could only see that Dumbledore was not accepting his argument and that he would be able to continue attending meetings until school began.

Dinner was a pleasant affair. Everyone seemed happy enough and the atmosphere was kept very light and jovial. While Mrs. Weasley's cooking was hard to resist indulging in, the trio ate quickly before running off to a more private part of the garden. Ron then began begging them for details, which they readily told him. He didn't seem too impressed with everything now that the great mystery of Voldemort's secret weapon was gone. Next, Harry had to confide in his friends.

"I have something I need to tell you guys," he began nervously. Ron seemed to cling to his every word as he recounted the story behind the prophecy while Hermione looked as if she was filtering and processing details for later analysis. When he got to the most gruesome part of it, his friends wore matching expressions of horror.

"Blimey Harry, you really are the Chosen One then?" Ron asked most indelicately.

"Apparently so."

"But the prophecy simply referred to a child, not you by name. Did anyone meet the criteria?" Hermione asked, still with the analytical look on her face.

"According to Dumbledore, only Neville." This caused Ron to snort.

"Neville Longbottom? Can you imagine that?"

"Be nice Ronald!" Hermione scolded him. Overall, they took this much better than Harry had expected. "So what are you going to do about this?" Hermione asked worriedly. Harry explained to her about his and Remus's training plan, and she immediately recommended twelve books he should read to supplement it. "It sounds like an excellent plan, much like the DA. Do you think you'll continue that?"

"I don't know. Guess we'll see what N.E.W.T. year brings. Would you two be interested in joining me? You're always with me, and it wouldn't hurt to have the review especially after Umbridge," Harry suggested. They jumped on the idea. He promised to run it by Remus. They spent the rest of the night catching up.

At about nine, everyone started leaving. Harry was still talking with his friends when Remus came over to find him.

"Harry, I'm going to go. Are you okay staying here for the night? I'll be back early in the morning to get you for training," he explained in a mildly forced cheerful tone. Harry gave him a quizzical look before answering.

"Yeah, that's fine. Is everything okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Professor Dumbledore has something he wishes to discuss with me is all." Harry felt there was more to it, but he would ask later when Ron and Hermione weren't around.

"All right. Oh hey, can they join our session tomorrow?" he asked suddenly remembering. Remus said it would be fine as long as they talked to Molly first and with that he left.

For perhaps the first time ever, Harry did not feel comfortable at the Burrow. Late at night, as Ron snored loudly, he lay awake, wishing for his room back at the cottage. It was similar to how he felt at the Dursleys' for Hogwarts. Harry was actually home sick.

_A/N: So perhaps not the most interesting chapter in the world, but an important one. For those of you who guessed they were meeting Slughorn, congrats. If you didn't, well who else was it going to be?! I fear this may be the last update for a little while. Life is going to be hectic here during the next few days. I'll do my best though. Please review and thanks for all the previous reviews!_


	11. Chapter 11

Convincing Mrs. Weasley that Ron should partake of Harry's lessons was not particularly difficult. While the idea of combat training was mildly worrisome, the prospect of Ron earning high N.E.W.T. scores won out. Breakfast was filled with lively chatter of what everyone would be studying. Hermione had opted to not take potion's courses. She was already top of the class and found no trouble reading a recipe unlike Harry and Ron. She instead would be studying ancient ruins while the boys had their lessons with Professor Snape. Ron was not entirely fond of this plan, but Mrs. Weasley insisted he study this if he wanted to participate at all. Thankfully, they would not have to face Snape for another six days and could struggle in peace.

As promised, Remus appeared early. He was tired looking and beat up. Harry, initially thrilled to see him again after his rough night, was worried by his appearance. Remus caught Harry staring and him gave him a weak smile to ward off any worry. It didn't help.

"Where were you last night?" Harry asked as Mrs. Weasley served him another two bacon strips. Remus sighed and slouched forward, his hands running over his face and through his hair.

"Business for Dumbledore. It's nothing to worry about though. The… clientele is simply a rough crowd, but nothing I can't handle. No thank you, Molly," he said as Mrs. Weasley placed a large plate in front of him. "Just toast today."

"Remus, that's hardly healthy. You need to keep your strength up!" she protested.

"No, I really couldn't, thank you," he replied with a sterner tone.

"I insist you-"

"Molly Weasley, don't do this to me!" he snapped. The kitchen froze. He sighed and looked down at the floor ashamed. "I'm sorry, but after last night, I just can't. Please understand." She mumbled an apology and took the plate away.

"Remus, are you-?"

"I'm fine Harry. We'll… we'll talk later. Finish up and we can head over to the school," he instructed. The three teens quickly finished eating and grabbed their bags. Without another word, they entered the fireplace and zipped off to their beloved castle.

The breakfast tension quickly faded as the three friends delved into transfiguration. Hermione quickly sped ahead of Ron and Harry. While Harry made fairly steady progress, Ron definitely struggled. Thransfiguration had never been his strong subject and the review was moving slowly. However, Charms was a much different story. Perhaps because of his older brothers, Ron nearly managed to keep pace with Hermione. They quickly made their way into the sixth year curriculum. It was an excellent diversion that resulted in a multitude of laughter.

As they stopped for lunch, all tension had fully dissipated. That is, until Hermione saw the House Elves.

"I can't believe we run this school on slave labor," she commented disdainfully.

"Oh get over it Hermione! This is a great place for them. Besides, they like to serve us!" Ron argued. Harry scanned the room to ensure Kreacher was out of sight. He didn't fancy explaining that to Hermione.

"It's still inhumane." Remus chuckled after he'd placed their order.

"I fear I must agree with Ron. They've always proved exceptionally eager to please. And it's not bad position. I'd imagine even Kreacher will be happier here."

"Why is Kreacher here?" Harry wanted to melt into the floorboards.

"Harry ordered him here to keep him safe and out of trouble," Remus explained innocently.

"Harry! Why didn't you free him?" Hermione shouted disbelievingly.

"Because he's dangerous, Hermione. He's the reason Sirius died. He betrayed him," Harry mumbled darkly.

"But it's not really his fault. Sirius was horrible to him."

"So he deserved to die?" Harry snapped back. Hermione quickly backed off.

"No, of course not! I'm sorry. I just meant-" Remus cut her off with a gentle hand on the shoulder. She seemed to sink under it's weight.

"It's all right Hermione. We know what you mean. Perhaps in time we'll reexamine this topic, but for now- this is for the best," he reasoned diplomatically.

"Of course Professor," she barely whispered. The room was silently tense with only the clatter of working Elves.

"So if you have Kreacher, does that mean you own Grimmauld Place?" Ron asked awkwardly once lunch had arrived. Harry nodded solemnly as he speared a rogue carrot. "Wicked cool! You'll never have to go back to the Dursely's now."

"I'd never live there. It's open for the Order, but I won't live there. Besides, I have to go back to the Dursely's eventually. Dumbledore's made that quite clear in the past." Harry noticed that as he said that, Remus had a curious grin. "What?" he asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about." They'd be talking later! Conversation of no real significance followed. Lunch passed quickly and then the group split. Harry, Ron, and Remus left for the dungeons while Hermione went to the library to study ancient ruins.

"I hate potions! Let's have a Quidditch match instead," Ron whispered to Harry. It was incredibly tempting, but if Harry wanted to be an Auror, he needed to improve his potions. Plus, Remus wouldn't allow it.

"We shouldn't." Ron groaned in protest. "Besides, it won't be bad. Snape won't be here. It'll be Remus instead."

"That's weird," Ron laughed. Harry have him a questioning look. "You just called a teacher by their first name! It would be like calling Professor Dumbledore 'Albus'!" Remus laughed ahead of them.

"That will probably be that last time I'm ever compared to Professor Dumbledore," he barked. Ron's ears flushed red.

"Werewolf hearing," Harry whispered. "You get used to it." They reached the dungeon and Remus did his best to brighten the dark, damp room by conjuring floating candles similar to the ones in the Great Hall. It was a significant improvement.

"Harry, Professor Snape gave you a list of potions to do. Perhaps Ron should follow that with you. Let me know if you have any questions. I have my own project to work on." The boys set up their cauldrons and gathered the necessary ingredients. They chopped and brewed in silence for a few minutes.

"So Bill and Fleur are engaged?" Harry asked, recalling this from a previous letter. Ron sighed and got that sickening look on his face that he'd worn all fourth year.

"Yeah. He was giving her English lessons and they started dating then. She's been at the Burrow all summer," he sighed dreamily. Harry snapped his fingers in front of Ron's face to get him out of his daze. "Thanks mate."

"Not a problem. Well, your mum must be thrilled." Ron snorted.

"Hardly. She thinks Fleur is too high maintenance and shallow for Bill. I think she's pushing for Tonks. She invited her to dinner every night these past two weeks, but with how sad she's been, she doesn't stand a chance!"

"Yeah, I suppose. But is she even interested in Bill? I never saw anything between them last year."

"I don't think so. Actually, I'm fairly sure she doesn't. I overheard her crying to Mum about some guy. Dunno who though." Remus dropped his knife, causing the boys to jump.

"What are you working on?" Harry called to Remus.

"A strong healing potion. I'm currently out and I doubt my Wolfsbane will improve much," he mumbled in a most flustered manner. He was really acting odd today. Harry added the last ingredient, stirred the potion seven times, and began to let it simmer. He walked over to where Remus was grinding some orange herb.

"What's going on?" Harry asked in a low whisper.

"Nothing," Remus mumbled back. Harry leaned in closer, making sure Ron couldn't here.

"You've been acting odd all day. Tell me what's going on," he demanded.

"I promise we'll talk tonight." Harry sighed and went back to his cauldron, frustrated with the lack of communication. He'd been through this enough.

"Harry, is this supposed to be bright blue?" Ron asked. Thankfully, it was and the rest of the session ran smoothly. Harry and Ron stored samples of their potions in flasks for Snape's judgment later in the week and then Harry stormed out of the dungeon, leaving Remus to feel extremely guilty.

As planned, the four met in the Defense room. Hermione, in an excellent mood, clearly sensed that something had happened in the dungeons. She tried to ask Ron, but Remus immediately began the lesson.

"I know about your activities this year. You've learned a lot and I have full confidence in your abilities. However, by sixth year, you need to be able to perform speechless spells. That is what we're going to learn using what you already know. It's hard, but you can do it with the proper concentration," he lectured sternly. Harry had been looking forward to this lesson all day, but it was the most disappointing of all. No one was able to actually perform a spell. Remus kept telling them to clear their minds, focus solely on the spell, and letting the magic fill them. However, the more he went on, the more this reminded Harry of Occlumency, and the more he became irritated. Finally, after a fruitless, exhausting hour, everyone went home.

Ron and Hermione said goodbye to Remus and Harry at the Burrow, who declined to stay for dinner. They flooed home and there Harry broke his silence.

"Tell me what is going on. No more secrets."

_A/N: My poor, faithful readers, your wait is over. I'm sorry for the huge gap between this chapter and the last, and for any decline in the writing quality. It's been a crazy year and a half/two years. But I've fallen in love with this story again, and I want to finish it. Plus, I have a lot of time on my hands to write this. Please tell me what you think._


	12. Chapter 12

Remus sighed and collapsed on the couch. In all truth, he was exhausted and just wanted to go to bed. He'd been up for over twenty four hours now and today was not an easy day in the least. But Harry was furious, and he wasn't going to go back out on his promise to explain everything. His fingers messaged his eyelids as he spoke.

"What do you want to know?" he asked. Harry sat down in the chair across from him.

"Where were you last night?" Of course he'd want to know that. Suddenly, Remus wanted to go back on his word and not tell him anything. After all, this was between him and Dumbledore. However, if he was going to gain Harry's trust enough to make him his guardian, he had to break down this wall he put between himself and the world. After all, this couldn't be any worse than letting James, Sirius, and Peter know he was a werewolf.

"I was spying on a werewolf pack. As you heard last night, Voldemort is recruiting werewolves to his army. As I'm the only one who can actually gain access, Dumbledore asked me. However, it's not going to work out. In order for me to blend in enough to gain their trust, I need to live primarily among them, but I can't do that with you. I can't abandon you." Harry sprung up began to pace the floor.

"Dumbledore wants you to live with werewolves? But they're barbaric! You can't do that! You're too... civilized," he yelled. Remus just shook his head. Harry held such a glorified view of who he was, but he didn't know how he felt when he transformed. He didn't know how a sheer exhilaration ran through him, breaking through his initial fear, every time he transformed. He didn't know how overjoyed the first few moments of being a wolf felt. He felt strong, powerful, and dangerous, and it felt good. Oh, he knew why Greyback and the others chose to live in the pack. They were the ones strong enough to surrender to their animal impulses, but not he. Remus took too much pride in being partly human and fought those urges.

"Harry, I'm really no different from the rest of them," he tried to argue, but Harry would hear none of it.

"Yes you are! You don't kill people and try to bite them. You wouldn't choose to leave your family and friends to be wild!" Harry tried to persuade him. It was all true, but it wasn't from a lack of desire.

"Well, it's a futile argument since I won't be going back," Remus declared. On a complete turn though, Harry sat back down.

"So Voldemort's going to just recruit the pack then? What will he do with them?" Remus grimaced impulsively.

"He'll use them as a threat. The last time, Voldemort would set Greyback on families who didn't bend to his will. He loves to bite children," he explained vaguely. Harry seemed confused. Apparently, he didn't know what really went on. "Greyback is the leader of the pack. He's... barely human really. If he could transform forever, he would. He's been known to attack and eat people in human form. He was the one who made me."

"That's terrible! Well it's good that you shouldn't be around him. It's not as if you'd be able to stop them from joining forces." Remus shrugged. That was true. But to know what he was up to would be beneficial. He'd have to discuss this with Dumbledore. Perhaps Snape would be knowledgeable of their activities anyways. "However, if you think this would be of great use to the Order... I could go to the Burrow." Harry sounded resigned to the idea, but Remus was against it. That would be the next point of the conversation.

"No Harry. I'll talk with Professor Dumbledore, but I want this to be your home if you'll have it," Remus began cautiously. Harry perked up from his dark thoughts. Remus rubbed his head again and leaned forward to rest his elbows on this knees. "In his will, Sirius appointed me your guardian. I naturally wish to take up that role, but Dumbledore insists the Dursley's must remain your legal guardians. You would have to legally reject the Dursleys and forgo the protection living their imparts on you," he explained cautiously. Harry's face split into a big grin.

"I'd like nothing more!" he declared. "Sirius made me the same offer third year, but that didn't work because of Pettigrew, but... yes! What do we have to do?" Harry asked eagerly, getting up to excitedly pace the room. Against his will, Remus's heart swelled with joy, but he needed Harry to understand the consequences of his actions.

"Before you accept though, try to think about this impartially. Your mother bestowed a protection upon you that has helped keep you safe because you live under the care of her sister. It has weakened since Voldemort revived himself with your blood, but it has been a benefit to you. If you allow be to take guardianship, you'll give this up for the last year you can have it," he explained. Harry stopped pacing and pondered this. Remus could almost see the gears turning in his head, but he knew how this would end.

"No, I want you to adopt me." Remus almost fell over at the idea of an adoption. He'd only meant a guardianship, but he was not objecting. "Don't you understand Remus?" Harry asked, sitting next to him on the couch. "I want a family. The Dursleys have kept me alive, and Aunt Petunia has certainly changed for the better this month, but they don't really count as a family. You, however, are my parents' and godfather's best friend. You've always been so kind and generous to me, and for the first time outside of Hogwarts, I feel truly happy and accepted," he explained most passionately. Remus couldn't help himself. He pulled Harry to him in a bone-crushing hug as tears began to fill his eyes. He wanted to blame the crying on his exhaustion, but he knew that wasn't true.

"Harry, you couldn't make me happier," he whispered. They sat like that for just a moment, reveling in their new family."However," Remus began, breaking the joyful atmosphere, "this will have to be done in secret. Only a few people can know about this arrangement. If Snape were to catch word of it, he would have to report it to Voldemort and that would be devastating." Harry nodded in understanding. "Now, the Ministry is required by law to remain private about these situations, so we can have the paperwork filled out in confidentiality. And I'm sure we can inform your friends, Dumbledore, and I guess Tonks." Harry suddenly caught on to a new change in his tone that he had never heard before.

"How soon can we do this?" is all Harry wanted to know. Remus promised to schedule an appointment in the morning for the soonest possible date. They collapsed into the overly stuffed couch and enjoyed the excited silence for a few minutes.

"So..." Remus began cautiously, "is that all you wanted to talk about?" Harry shook his head. He wanted an explanation for today, for his outburst towards Mrs. Weasley. That was an easy one due to his night with the werewolves. After witnessing their feeding practices, meat made his stomach churn. Plus, he was exhausted and rather short of temper. Harry nodded understandingly. Remus sighed. He was off the hook.

"And in potions today?" Remus growled under his breath. He didn't want to talk about that. "Does it have to do with Tonks?" The boy was too insightful, or he was being to obvious. He tried to deny it, but Harry wouldn't believe it. "It does! Tell me!"

"Harry, I'd rather not. It's not important," he dismissed, getting up to make a cup of tea to soothe his nerves. But Harry, being James's son, would not drop the bait.

"You know something about why she's so upset? What is it?" he pressed.

"It's not your place to intrude in private matters."

"You're being unnecessarily defensive."

"Hardly. Why would I know anything about Tonks and her love life?" Harry grinned. He'd just admitted to everything.

"I never said this had anything to do with that. Are you in love with her?" Remus dropped the kettle in the sink.

"Of course not! She's... much too... young for me." That was hardly convincing and the look Harry was giving him said he knew that was a lie. "All right! I am attracted to her. Who wouldn't be? She's quite pretty, intelligent, successful... funny, charming... But it doesn't matter! I'm so old and dangerous! It's not like it could ever work."

"So who is she pining over that's making you jealous?"

"Has anyone ever told you not to interfere in other people's business?"

"Is it you?" Remus gave him a death glare that told him to end this conversation. "I'll take that as a yes. Well, I would approve," he said finally and went into his room. Remus gave up on his tea and simply went to bed. He was too tired for this.

_A/N: So, it's probably not the most exciting of chapters, but it's a necessary transition. As you can see, a few aspects of HBP will be changed, but it'll remain fairly faithful once the school year starts up in a few chapters. Again, please review! It's what fuels my updates. _


	13. Chapter 13

A month later, only Hermione had fully mastered non-verbal spells. Ron was trying to whisper them under his breath, but Remus never failed to catch him. Harry had managed to get a few wisps of a spell out, but he was miles behind Hermione. Remus assured Harry he would get there if he just cleared his mind, but he couldn't with everything going on. Snape was breathing done his neck during their potions lessons and really increasing the difficultly of the projects. The Order was meeting more frequently. Apparently Voldemort was amassing a large army full of dark creatures, and even though Remus was not living with the Pack, he was frequently sent to spy on them. Harry hated how often Remus had to be gone, but it was necessary. And then there was the adoption. Remus had applied for the adoption, complete with Vernon and Petunia's approval, and all they had to do now was wait. With all of this going on, there was no way he could really concentrate. And today had been particularly difficult.

His ankle was throbbing from their morning runs, his scar burned ever so lightly, and Hermione and Ron were once again bickering over something stupid. He tried to concentrate. '_Wingardium Leviosa. Wingardium Leviosa.' _The feather jumped off the table and set itself on fire. He felt like Seamus Finnigan. At least it hadn't exploded.

"Are you sure you're pronouncing it correctly?" Ron asked.

"Of course!" Harry roared, his last nerve snapping. "We've been able to do this since first year! I know the bloody spell!" He shoved his wand into his pocket and stormed into the corridor. He vaguely heard Remus give instructions to the others and he was sure he was coming after him. Remus called after him, but Harry ignored it. He needed to be outside. The school was confining. He broke into a slow run, ignoring his ankle's protest, and jumped the false step. Before he knew it, he was out on the ground. The sunlight massaged his skin and the breeze ruffled his hair, banishing the darkest of his emotions. He pulled off his shoes and let the grass embrace his toes as he headed down to the lake. The giant squid was looming near the shore.

He'd almost made it to the shore when Remus reached the entrance. Dumbledore had him spying on the wolves again and he'd been out last night. Thankfully, the pack didn't know of his alliances, so they just considered him a loner and took great pleasure in fighting him. Today he had a few new cuts on his face and hands. Harry hated how often he was gone, but Dumbledore had been kind enough to cut back at Remus's request. Harry knew he had no grounds to complain.

"Harry, wait!" Harry reached the water's edge and sat down on the gravel. Remus caught up and sat down close beside him. "What happened back there?" Harry sighed and kicked a rock into the undulating water with his big toe.

"I'm just irritated with everything. I can't get non-verbals done. You're gone so much. They're always fighting. The owl hasn't arrived yet!" he listed off, becoming angrier with each complaint. "It's all so difficult and I just feel so angry all the time! It's like last year... when Voldemort was getting through, but different," he was quick to add. The last thing he wanted was to be banned from Order meetings. He slumped forward to rest his head on his knees. Remus calmly rubbed his back.

"You're becoming a teenager." Harry perked up at this and Remus just smiled. "I remember being sixteen. It was the age of raging hormones, hurt feelings, and random fights. I gave Sirius a few black eyes that year," he reminisced. Harry could not possibly imagine Remus resorting to such physical violence, but then again, everyone was different back then. "So if you're in a bad mood, it's perfectly normal, and you have a lot more going on in your life than we did." Harry laughed darkly at that.

"Maybe some of them, but I think you might be able to relate. You have a secret you're afraid of. It comes with all this expectation. Death seems to be a looming part of your life." Remus was silent and Harry knew he'd probably never thought of it that way. They just sat there in silence and let the wind take away all the negativity. For a moment, Harry felt like he could maybe get through everything.

An owl swooped down and sat next to them, a letter attached to its leg. Harry held his breath as Remus unattached the letter and read it.

"We've been approved." That was all that needed to be said. The two sat in a relaxed, comfortable silence. Harry was now officially Harry James Lupin Potter. For all simplicity, he'd taken a second middle name to represent his new family tie. They'd decided to tell only Hermione, the Weasleys, Tonks, and Dumbledore. But for now, that could wait. For the first time in his life, Harry knew he had a family.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Unsurprisingly, Hermione and Ron were arguing when they arrived at the classroom. From what they could catch, Ron felt Hermione had insulted him, and she felt he was being far too sensitive. They stopped though as Harry and Remus reemerged.

"Everything all right then?" Ron asked, the fiery red draining slowly from his face as he calmed down. Harry smiled as Remus placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah, perfect actually. Uh, an owl arrived from the Ministry just now. It's something we've been waiting on for awhile now. It contained my adoption papers. Remus and I are officially a family now," he announced in a shy manner. Saying those words felt so new and exhilarating. Hermione made a very girlish noise that Harry was incapable of perceiving as human, and flung her arms around him.

"I'm so happy for you!" she squealed, finally releasing Harry to hug Remus as well. Ron stepped forward with a large grin and shook Harry's hand.

"Congratulation mate! So are you now Harry Lupin? I feel the papers won't like that one," Ron teased him gently. Remus was quick to correct though.

"No! The majority of the Order can't know, because this severs Harry's connection to Privet Drive and that protection he has. He does have another middle name though."

"Harry James Lupin Potter..." Harry mumbled mainly to himself. It sounded nice. Everyone enjoyed the moment of happiness before Remus ushered them back to work. Ron and Hermione's fight was forgotten for now, and Harry was the happiest he'd ever been. By the end of the less, he'd even managed to get his feather to bob just above the the table top. Now, if only Dumbledore would be as excited about this.

A/N:This was a hard chapter to write, hence why it's so short. Sorry!


	14. Chapter 14

"What are you thinking?" Harry wished Dumbledore would just yell. The disappointment and disapproval was worse than straight anger. "Harry, your mother died to protect you as long as she could, and now you've given that up. Why?" He tried to answer, but his mouth was suddenly very dry and would not form words.

"Professor-"

"I brought it up to Harry, Sir," Remus answered for him. "I thought it was about time he had a say in his life and you and I both know he's always wanted a real family."

"He had a family. The Dursleys-"

"Were only blood. They never cared about him. He slept in a closet for most his life and he's constantly half-starved. Sirius knew that wasn't good enough, and I gave Harry the opportunity for the normal life he's always wanted," Remus argued.

"Sometimes Remus, there are more important things in life than normalcy. I'd expect you to understand that," Dumbledore countered, leaning forward to look at Remus over the top of his glasses.

"And I'd expect you, Professor, to see that something is wrong when my parents treated a werewolf more tenderly than Harry's aunt and uncle treat him."

"Professor," Harry was finally able to say, "I knew the consequences when I agreed to this. I knew what my mother gave me, but I also think she intended for me to be happy. Voldemort already overcame the enchantment when he took my blood. I spend most of my year here or at the Burrow. And I turn seventeen in a year. It's only for another month that I would even need that protection. But now, I'm always with at least one member of the Order. I'll be just as safe as I was with the Dursleys, but now I'm happy. I... I have a real family like I've always wanted, like my parents and Sirius wanted," he pleaded with the Headmaster to understand. Dumbledore sighed and sat back in his chair.

"I fear you don't actually understand, but there's nothing that can be done about it now. I do caution you to keep this as secretive as possible."

"We already know who should know, Professor," Remus assured Dumbledore. "Ron and Hermione know, we're going to tell the Weasleys, and Tonks. The Dursleys know and Arthur's friend in the Ministry who handled the paperwork."

"Very well. All I have then is to offer my congratulations. Although I do not find your decision wise, I am glad you both are happy. The world could do with a little more happiness in it." Remus and Harry thanked him and awkwardly gave their parting comments. They were due to the Burrow for dinner to make their final announcement. Hermione and Ron were sent back to tell Mrs. Weasley that happy news was in order and Tonks should be called for dinner. There was no doubt that a celebration was before them.

XXX

The Burrow was in a frenzy as they stepped out of the fireplace.

"Ginny, chop those onions faster. Fred, George, whichever one you are, stop that right now! They'll be here at any moment!" Mrs. Weasley barked to her children. Remus stepped forward, arms spread wide, and laughed.

"Molly, you are making too much fuss over us." He embraced the stressed woman, which startled the short, plump matron.

"Remus! You're here," she cried, her hand rushing to her heart. "Well come in. Dinner is almost done. Arthur's just in the living room if you want to see him. Harry dear, welcome back. Ron and Hermione are setting the table outside. Will you bring them those glasses?" Harry looked around, but couldn't find them.

"Here you go Harry," Ginny called from behind them with her arms full of glasses. Awkwardly, he managed to scoop up them up, but as his arms brushed hers, a tickle ran down his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He paused momentarily, shocked by this sensation. Ginny giggled and turned back to her onion chopping, earning him a curious glance from Remus who had observed the silent exchange. Harry shook his head and turned to go outside.

"Hello Harry," Ron greeted him. "Mum's in a complete uproar over this. She nearly bit my head off because I won't tell her want's going on." That did sound like Mrs. Weasley.

"How did the meeting with Professor Dumbledore go?" Hermione asked as she made her way around the table with silverware. Harry shrugged as he manuevered the glasses onto the table. "That good then?"

"He was unhappy at first, but might have come around I think, " he summarized. "He warned us to keep it a secret, which we already knew."

"Well, I'm happy for the two of you!" Hermione declared.

"What are we happy about?" The trio spun on their heels to find Tonks standing behind them. Once again, she didn't look right. Her hair was a very pale pink and her eyes seemed sadder than usual.

"You'll find out tonight," Ron said quickly. Tonks gave them a playful look, but shrugged it off. She'd find out soon enough.

"Well, we could certainly do with a little more happiness. I assume Molly's in the kitchen?" But as she said that, Mrs. Weasley came into the yard surrounded by floating pots and pans. She greeted Tonks as she levitated the dishes into place and everyone took their seats. Although the table was eager to hear the news, everyone waited until plates were full and everyone was settled in. This wasn't just a gathering to hear what Harry and Remus had to say, it was a time to forget about the impending war and be with friends for a family dinner. But, Mrs. Weasley, despite being the mother of seven children, was not a patient woman by nature and had to know why they were all gathered.

"So out with it! What is going on?" she cried. Harry and Remus exchanged looks across the table and finally Remus stood up.

"I have a very exciting announcement that Harry and I wish to share with you, our good friends." He paused as nervous emotion swelled like a balloon in his chest. How to say this? It was the greatest day in his life and yet, he couldn't find the words to do it justice. "Today, a letter came from the Ministry that we've been waiting for eagerly." He glanced at Arthur who was aware of the situation, but had promised to keep this a secret from his wife. He offered a nod of encouragement and Remus managed to continue. "A month ago, in keeping with Sirius's wishes, I filed to adopt Harry and as of today, we're officially a family."

The table erupted with excited congratulations. Mrs. Weasley was particularly ecstatic and rushed to embrace them both. Tears shone in her eyes.

"I'm so happy for you both!" she cried. "You were so alone, but you finally have someone there for you. A family, a proper family. But, know that I'm always here if you need anything, especially food. You both don't eat enough!" The table laughed, except for Tonks, which Harry noticed. She had also offered her sincere wishes for their happiness, but something about Mrs. Weasley's words saddened her. This confused Harry, but the general splendor of the night couldn't keep him dwelling on it for too long.

They ate, talked, and laughed long into the night, but at long last, it was time for them to go home. Harry had to smile at that term. He finally had a real home where he was welcomed and loved. The Dursleys had never wanted him, and Hogwarts was really just a school. Now he was going to proper home.

"Can you imagine George if the papers got a hold of this?" George called to Fred.

"I know Fred! 'Chosen One Adopted By Old Werewolf.' Who would know what to think about it?" Fred responded.

"A werewolf and a marauder at that. That's much too scandalous for the Ministry's poster boy!" George laughed. Harry blushed and escaped their teasing. The Ministry could never know. Harry stepped into the fire and flooed home, landing slightly more gracefully than normal in his own hearth.

Remus was already collapsed on the couch and Harry quickly joined him. They sat next to each other for a long time, pausing to finally breathe after this exciting day. it was their first chance to just sit and take in this new development. It was a wonderful feeling just sitting in silence with each other.

"So, what am I to call you? You're not my professor anymore, and Remus sounds too detached" Harry asked. It was a question that had weighed on his mind for awhile now and he still didn't have an answer. Remus sighed and put his right arm behind his head to scratch at his hair. He had an idea, but it was uncomfortable to say it aloud.

"Well Harry, I've thought about it a little. By now, you know far too much about your Dad and Sirius should be your only godfather. But, if you'd like, I'd love to be your uncle." Truth be told, Lily had referred to him as Uncle Remus when she was alive, but he didn't want to say this to influence his decision. Harry slouched back more and considered it.

"Uncle Remus... I could get used to that. I wouldn't mind a good uncle for once," Harry reasoned. Remus chuckled and pulled Harry to his side.

"Quite right. It's good to finally have you as a nephew," he confessed. Once again, silence fell. "So, as your uncle, I do have certain responsibilities regarding your torment that I must uphold," he started slyly. Harry pulled away and focused on the old marauder. "Ginny looked quite nice tonight and was particularly attentive to you." Harry blushed though he didn't really know why. However, two could play at this game.

"I think the same could be said of Tonks and you. You really should say something." Remus was now as red as he was.

"Touche. Anyways, it's late and we should get to bed. We're still running tomorrow," Remus ended that conversation before it really started. Harry laughed and went to bed, to his own room.

A/N: I know it's been forever and this isn't the most exciting chapter. This whole business just had to be finished off. The next chapter, which will hopefully show up faster will get the story going will be more fun. Please review!


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